"A Rose for Emily" and Complexity of Love

Paper Summary:

The paper explores how William Faulkner's" A Rose for Emily" reveals the complexity of love and how it can shape an individual. The paper examines the story's themes of grotesque love, denial, mystery and death. The paper focuses on the techniques employed by Faulkner to construct this mysterious love tale, that include narration, imagery and symbolism.

From the Paper:

"William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily," captures our attention because it is a love story and a mystery at the same time. The love story is embedded in the dark mystery that surrounds Miss Emily, a mysterious old lady that grows increasingly eccentric with time. Faulkner paints an incredible picture by setting up the story and enticing the reader with the mystery that surrounds Miss Emily. That alone is enough to keep us reading. We want to know what it is about her that warrants a short story. We do not know until the last paragraphs of the story and Faulkner's ability to keep us reading until those last words demonstrates his skill as a writer. He utilizes several techniques to construct this mysterious love tale, including narration, imagery, and symbolism. Love is at the heart of this story but there is much more to it than that. Love also becomes the motivating factor for Emily's bizarre behavior. Love is indeed a mystery and nothing startles us like the macabre mystery of Miss Emily."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blythe, Hal. "Faulkner's A Rose for Emily." EBSCO Resource Database. Site Accessed July 2, 2008. <http://search.epnet.com>
• Brooks, Cleanth and Robert Perm Warren. "Understanding Fiction." EBSCO Resource Database. Site Accessed July 2, 2008. <http://search.epnet.com>
• Burdock, Michael. "Another View of Faulkner's Narrator in 'A Rose for Emily." GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed July 2, 2008. <www.infotrac.galegroup.com>
• Curry, Renee R., "Gender and Authorial limitation in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed July 2, 2008. <www.infotrac.galegroup.com>
• Faulkner, William. " A Rose for Emily." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. New York: W. W. Norton and Company. 1981. pp. 451-9.

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• Analytical Essay # 123977 : "'A Rose for Emily' and Chronology"

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