A rose for Emily: prose fiction analysis

¶ … Death in "A Rose for Emily"

William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily," can be viewed as a horror story, but it is also a love story as well. In fact, upon close observation, we see how Emily resorts to bad behavior because she needs love and is willing to do anything to get it, even if it means murder. Emily is a weird old woman but she is also a love-starved women doing what she feels she must do to keep love in her life. Faulkner explores the dark side of love with Emily, allowing readers to see how a helpless woman can cause major damage when pushed to the edge of loneliness.

Emily is, at first, a creepy recluse. She lives alone and most people around her know who she is but they keep their distance from her. She is not friendly and is so stubborn, the aldermen avoid doing any business with her until they absolutely must. She is weird because she keeps her father's dead body in her home for three days before allowing the authorities to take it away. In many ways, Emily is her father's victim because he protected her from too much. Losing him was difficult and she needed to find some kind of surrogate father.

Homer gives Emily hope for a special kind of love she shares with her father. She begins to leave her house and she seems more upbeat about things. The town even begins to see some hope with the couple. The only problem with the couple is the fact that Homer did not return Emily's sentiments. He makes it known that he "liked men" (456). Homer might have liked Emily but perhaps only as a friend. Emily takes things in her own hands and decides Homer will not leave her (regardless of what he wants to do). Her need for love makes her kill Homer. He was her last chance for love and her only chance to avoid being alone every night for the rest of her life. Dead in her bed was one way she knew she could have him forever. Death keeps Emily's dream alive.

Emily's life is one of loss. From the beginning of the story, we know Emily is protected and sheltered by her father. He was doing his best to keep her from getting hurt but all he did was make her life after his death more difficult. He had " driven away" (455) all of Emily's suitors in her younger days. Her father keeps Emily from partaking in some basic aspects of life so that when he dies, she is lost. She misses out on opportunities and friendships because he father is in the way.