Rose For Emily Essay, Research Paper

Emily is a woman that has had a hard life. Her family made it so that she was

held in high regard in the public eye. She was not suppose to encounter relationships that

were below her stature. The town, being the antagonist, drives Emily to her insanity

because they will not allow her to lead a normal life. They liked the ?show? they were

watching a refused to give it up.

The narrator explores how Emily is defined in her position in the town by her

name and her father. ?People in our town, [. . .], believed the Griersons held themselves a

little too high for what they really were.? (pg.83) Emily?s father had been controlling

during her early life and had stopped all suitors from visiting her. ? we had all

remembered all the young men her father had driven away, [. . . ]? (pg.84) Emily is

forced to live in a house were her father will is paramount to her own. When he dies we

understand this lose is almost to much for her to bear. ? Miss Emily met them at the

door, dressed as usual with no trace of grief on her face. She told them her father was

not dead.? (pg.84) The denial of her fathers death is explained by the narrator: ?and we

knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as

people will.? (pg.84)

The narrator also explores the way in which the towns people define Miss Emily

as ? a tradition, a duty, and a care, [. . . ]? (pg.81) This definition is narrowly drawn. Her

rank is one of the ? representatives of those August names, [. . . ]? (pg.81) When she

begins her relationship with Homer Barron, his name shows irony because he is described

as ? ? a northerner, a day laborer,?? (pg.84) the towns people are appalled. ? Then some

of the ladies began to say it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young

people.? (pg.86) The towns people go as far as to send the Baptist preacher, the towns

moral leader, to chastise Emily regarding this relationship. Emily refutes this

chastisement and quickly flaunts her relationship with Homer. ? The next Sunday they

again drove about the streets, [. . . ]? (pg.86) Having been rebuked, the ministers wife

enlists the aid of Emily?s cousins to pressure Emily back into the role they feel she should

play. They do arrive at which time Emily buys poison. The towns people feel placadid

after Emily buys the arsenic. ? So the next day we all said, ? ? She will kill herself??, and

we said it would be the best thing.? (pg.85) The towns people it seems would have Emily

play by their rules as have been defined by tradition and duty or commit suicide.

Emily at first tries to break away from the defined role after her father dies by

establishing a relationship with Homer Barron. When she sees how the community reacts

she is torn between maintaining her stature and connecting to man in a relationship. This

conflict ultimately leads her to madness. She buys the arsenic not to kill herself but to

kill Homer Barron. However, she cannot bear to relinquish their relationship and so

keeps his corpse in her bed where she has murdered him. Her denial for death which is

foreshadowed in her fathers comes into play here as she is able to play her societal role

while keeping her sweetheart forever in her bed.

As you can see because of her father, her social stature, and the town she was

driven to insanity. Without all of these variables Emily might have been able to lead a

normal life. Living up to others expectations is not an easy thing to do. We can all learn

a lesson from Emily, living up to others expectations is not as important than the

happiness of our own.