Essay on “a Rose for Emily” Literary Analysis - 743 Words

Cameron Barba Ms. Carunchio English 11B 12 February 2009 â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Literary Analysis In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, William Faulkner uses setting, character development, and stylistic devices to express the mystery of Emily and the somewhat gossip-obsessed attitude the townspeople have towards Emily. Faulkner uses the setting to convey the mystery surrounding Emily and her actions. For example, Faulkner writes â€Å" knocked at the door through which no visitor had passed since she ceased giving china-painting lessons eight or ten years earlier.† This quote shows the mystery of her house and how nobody knows what is in it or what goes on inside of it. The townspeople are wondering what goes on behind Miss Emily’s closed doors. Also†¦show more content†¦The townspeople are very interested in everything about her it seems and this is just another topic they gossip about. Another example of Miss Emily’s character change and how it relates to the mystery surrounding her is at first she sta rts going out â€Å"on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy and the matched team of bays from the livery table.† Then, later on, she wants poison for some odd reason and says â€Å"I want arsenic, The druggist looked down at her. She looked back at him, erect, her face like a strained flag†¦. What you are going to use it for. Miss Emily just stared at him.†(pg.651) Miss Emily is performing many strange actions that spark the interest of the townspeople. The inhabitants of the town try to give any explanation for the mystery of why she’s buying the poison, such as she is going to commit suicide. Her actions are just encouraging the townspeople to gossip about the mystery. Faulkner utilizes stylistic devices such as imagery, and figurative language to express the townspeople and their feeling towards Emily. For example, the author describes Miss Emily in great detail such as â€Å"her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like t wo small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as the moved from one face to another while the visitors stated theirShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis of â€Å"a Rose for Emily†1277 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis of â€Å"A Rose For Emily† The short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, by William Faulkner, is told by an unnamed narrator and broken into five sections. The story is not chronological, but completely out of order, adding mystery and climax. The first section begins with the death of the main character, Emily Grierson, and relates the thoughts and actions of the small Southern U.S. town. A flawed relationship between the town and Miss Emily is seen throughout the story. 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