WHAT IS LOVE Essay, Research Paper

WHAT IS LOVE

Love as defined by Webster?s is ?a strong and deep feeling of attachment, great affection; passionate attraction and ardent affection, especially for one of the opposite sex?(183). My definition of love is unconditional acceptance, devoutness, and trust, between two consenting individuals. The people involved in a loving relationship share life?s turmoil?s and life?s pleasure?s. In Faulkner?s ?A Rose for Emily?, Emily?s concept of the word love varies greatly from both Webster?s definition and from mine.

Emily believed that love meant never being alone even in death. This is clearly evident when ?we noticed that in the second pillow was an indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair?(856).

Throughout this story Faulkner portrays Miss Emily as once important but shows her gradual downslide into a deluded, monstrous old lady who cannot distinguish reality from that which is not. After the death of Miss Emily?s father, we notice a marked degeneration of Miss Emily. This is apparent when ?She told them that her father was not dead. She did this for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body?(852). After the loss of her father she could not tolerate a second loss and had secured her man, fixing him forever in a pose of order and embrace. She believed that there was no price too great to pay to hold on to someone. This is evident when she devises the destruction of her lover in order to keep him forever. Miss Emily visited the druggist, and said ?I want some poison, I want the best you have. I don?t care what kind. The druggist named several. They?ll kill anything up to an elephant. Arsenic, I want arsenic,?(853) replied Miss Emily. ). So, Miss Emily once having the ability to know love can no longer determine what love is.

My definition of love conflicts with that of Miss Emily?s, she believes that her need to be loved comes above all else including her lover. Whereas, I believe that love is a mutually gratifying relationship that is dependent upon each other?s needs and not just that of one person?s. Miss Emily could not have loved Homer because if she did she would have wanted a mutually giving relationship that encompassed all aspects of love including touch, warmth and conversation. We know that Miss Emily did not truly love Homer because to love is let a free exchange of feelings and communication. Miss Emily?s fear of loss was greater than the power of love.

Through Homer?s death, we can see that Miss Emily could not have truly ever loved him. What Emily viewed as love was truly her fear of loosing Homer. Through this fear she has created a loss greater than no other has. From Faulkner?s work, ?A Rose for Emily? we can see that Miss Emily?s definition of love varies greatly from that of my own. Love to me is an unconditional acceptance, devoutness, and trust, between two consenting individuals.