What They Say Affects our Understanding Essays

What They Say Affects our Understanding Essays What They Say Affects our Understanding Essay What They Say Affects our Understanding Essay The short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, speaks of the life of a woman who was caught in the past and refused to participate in the change. Written by the award-winning Southerner author, William Faulkner, the story revolves on the different aspects of being the only daughter of a small town pillar. The story presented how somebody like Emily Grierson, an epitome of an individual caught in the past, lived with only her pride and loneliness in an enclosed world, and remained envied by women and admired by men. It showed how the very things that people see as another person’s weakness may become strength as in the case of the author.An Epitome of the UnmovedThere are instances when people are left trying to relive the past over and over again in their own personal ways. This is oftentimes done in order to maintain one’s sanity or to keep a memory that only during that moment can be left real. In the case of Emily Grierson, both may have bee n the reason to exhaust all means to remain in that certain period in her life.She exhibited the seeming obsession to retain her past many times in the story. Initially, through keeping her father’s corpse in the house, by staying indoors from then on, and even after her death, she proved to have stopped time at some point as the townspeople discovered the rotten body of her lover, Homer Barron, in her home (Faulkner).In a commentary by the literary critic, Cecilia Rodriguez, she pointed that Colonel Sartoris, and the negro-servant is a representation of the past; while Homer Barron and the new Board of Alderman represented the present. Emily, however, does not only represent the past but also lived in it. There had been many struggles to keep the present away, which was evident in the murder of Homer Barron and many other incidents. The consequence of these efforts is the aloof, cold, and almost cruel Emily that people saw (â€Å"Interpretations of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily†).The obsessive ways to maintain life as it used to be may point to Emily’s last resort to keep the honor that the Griersons achieved through efforts of Mr. Grierson. It was mentioned in the story how Emily had been the shadow of the elder Grierson. As such, upon dying, the mission of keeping the dignity of the lineage rested on Emily’s shoulders. It is probable that shying away from the public was Emily’s way of keeping things in control, and a means of fulfilling the arduous undertaking.Admired by Many, Envied by SomeWhen Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house. (Faulkner n.p)Exuding a bitter disposition, women felt either anger or fear, while men found in Emily’s attitude a sense of beauty worth appreciating. Despite the observable cruelty in the way Emily presented herself, she had been found exceptional. Walking with her chin up and not caring about the gossips being spread, Emily projects a woman of strength and independence. These are the traits that did not exist among the women during that time, yet had to exist in Emily in order to preserve her family’s dignity (â€Å"The Narrator’s Point of View†).According to the influential critic, Cleanth Brooks, Emily’s refusal to be criticized by the public, and the denial of the present resulted to the independent, vindictive persona she projects. The enormous pride, in ways proven by the decline to conform to social norms, and the rebellious manner towards the town’s Aldermen may be considered as preclusion of failure to maintain the image of her family. It also points to Emily’s inner desires to get away from the superficiality of the town’s life yet having no means to do it (â€Å"Interpretations of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily†).However, peopleâ₠¬â„¢s reactions to these details directs to the idea that even with the negative perspective most women have on Emily; men felt the opposite towards her. As such, she may have been as well a subject for women’s envy. The fear and pity may be attitudes to cover an inherent feeling of loathing (â€Å"The Narrator’s Point of View†).The Author and His workIn a book written on the tenth anniversary of William Faulkner’s birth, it was mentioned that he was a writer who kept work to himself. Faulkner had been a loner who devised guises, roles, and masks that kept the people at distance. Although, not as cruel as the character in the story, it may be pointed that Emily Grierson symbolizes a part of the writer’s life. Faulkner was a shy and troubled man as much as his character was. The ways in which his fictions were written were signs of how he delimits his relations with others. As much as Emily was marked by the townspeople, critics have probed Faulkner ’s gothic, almost grotesque style yet it still received approbation for the influences it had in the world of literature (Minter)Analysis and ConclusionAlthough the critics’ comments were not suggestive, it supports the idea that Emily Grierson’s personality was the result of the great struggle between the heavy burden of maintaining a social status and the desire to be free from it. Because of this inherent battle, she had turned herself into the proud woman who lived in loneliness, yet still remained envied and admired by others.Owing to Rodriguez’ commentary combined with the criticism of Brooks, Emily’s decision to remain in the past may be considered as the wall that she has put up in order to maintain control and keep things as they were. It has brought her the independence that may be said as necessary given her predicament. However, it was causal to the aloof and independent personality she has developed. These traits became the point of en vy for some females and a subject of admiration for men. What the women may have seen as her weaknesses were seen as also her strengths by other people.As such it may be said that the story presents how people’s personalities affect others’ perception. It is probable that the very feature hated or loathed are the key features that attracts others. Further, as pointed by Minter, the same thing may be applied in the writer’s life. As such, the shield he put up to delimit relationships became both a subject for criticism as well as for praise.