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Feminism in A Rose For Emily Essay

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A Rose for emily

One of the interesting techniques that Faulkner used to develop A Rose for Emily was his use of feminism and how it plays a critical role in the development of the story. In the 1930s, the womens role in the southern culture is very different from modern day culture. Women had certain rules and expectations to meet according to society and if they were not met, those women were considered an outcast. Emily is the perfect definition of the outcast of Jefferson. She fails to comply with the rules by shrugging off trying to maintain her social statues as a mannerly women, took no concern into the judgment of her relationship with Homer Barrons, and, most importantly, refuses to follow the towns modern changes and new laws.

Emily did not take and consideration into what socity expected a woman to do. In a typical southern family, an unmarried women would go live with their other family members when the head of the household is dead. In this case, when Mr. Grierson died, Emily refused to leave the house or let anyone stay with her for too long. She used her house as a shield from the rest of the world and put herself out of sight. Disobeying the code of social conduct is a great way to stir up the gossip and that is exactly what happens in Faulkners short story. Emily pays no attention to the whispers around her by the neighbors and while Emily continues to live in her dark and eery home, she still has the company of her faithful servant, Tobe. Not only did she have Tobe stay with her nut Emily also had Homer, whom which is an unmarried man, spend a few nights.

Homer Barrons, a foreman from the North, takes special interest in Emily. He wins the admiration of the townspeople because of his gregarious nature and good sense of humor. Disppite his attributes, the town did not see him as a suitable mate for Emily. For many years the town people have not seen Emily with another man and most eyes are on the new couple. They religiously begin to take Sunday drives out in his yellow wheeled buggy. These Sunday drives are considered scandalous because Homer refers to himself as not a marrying man. He is also believed to be a homosexual for Homer clearly states he liked men and enjoyed the company of the younger men, The entire town knew this which makes the people wonder why would she chose him. Emily, once again , showed little care for the social conventions.

Faulkner chose to convey Emilys extreme feminism by letting her enforce her own sense of law and conduct. She is considered a tradition of the town and is referred to as a living monument to the past times of Jefferson. Emily was in denial of the towns modern upbringing and refuses to let the Grierson home be changed with the rest of the towns modern changes. She lives in a timeless vacuum and world of her own making. When federal mail services were instituted, she did not allow the town attach metallic numbers to her home. When Mr. Grierson had past Colonel Sartoris, a former mayer of Jefferson, relieves Emily from any tax burdens but his generous gesture is not accepted with the new generation of town leaders. She is not intimidated by the men coming for the taxes and repeatedly tells them about the agreement with Sartoris and dismisses the men. She refuses to let men tell her what she needs to do.

Although the rules of the southern culture are strictly encouraged in the 1930s, Faulkner chooses to show feminism through Emilys actions. Many can say that Emily was the black sheep in this short story because everything that is expected from a women in this time period, she does the complete opposite. Throughout the entire story the narrator shows her refusal to comply with society. Many say she was mentally ill from the start of her life but just as many people would agree that it is the last few years of her life is when she finally broke and the death of Homer Barrons was the out come. Emily is an intelligent and a strongly will powered women for her time period. She was ahead of her time in the sense of women not needing to follow what men tell them to do and that women can make up their own mind. Although she was considered a misfit, she still had the respect of the townspeople and let no one stand in her way.

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