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The Community's View of Emily in A Rose For Emily Essay

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In A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner members of a southern community are telling us the story of Emily Grierson. The communitys view of Emily is that of a noblesse oblige(508). They see her as a fallen monument(505) and she is a constant source of gossip for the townspeople. She views the community as a part of the towns setting and they see her as a duty, and a care(505). Their thoughts and actions are of no consequence to Miss Emily Grierson.(505) The community is highly concerned with maintaining their image and does not want Emily damage that image. The community and their suspicions of her help us understand Emilys life and the effect the townspeople and Emily have on each other.

Emily has been isolated from the community from a young age. They know a great deal more about Emilys life than she knows of theirs. By only allowing Emily to associate with the upper class, her father did not allow her to interact with the community during his life. Emily was born before the introduction of modern ideas(505) and was raised to view herself as a lady of privilege. After her fathers death the community views Emily as a tradition(505). She is not a member of the community, she is a hereditary obligation upon the town(505). Their view of her increases her isolation from them. This seclusion from the townspeople and her surroundings cripples her emotionally. The lack of interaction between Emily and her community forces her to deal with loss in unhealthy manners and live in isolation. She lacks the emotional experience that an involved member of society acquires. This is why she refuses to let the doctors dispose of her fathers body. She cannot react in a typical manner because she was not raised in a typical environment.

The community has a need for Emily that she does not reciprocate. The next generation(505) not only wants Emily to pay her taxes, they need her to pay taxes. She is a woman of wealth and her tax money would be of great aid to the community. They could use her taxes to help fund a public project that would be of use to the community. When they refer to her as Poor Emily(508) they are not speaking to her economic status. Emily only has use for private businesses such as pharmacies and clothing stores. Her dependence on public services is minimal, she even refuses to let them fasten the metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it.(510) Emily wants nothing to do with the community but everything she does is of interest to them. She believes that the remittance of her taxes was a gift from the city, not charity. She expects the town to keep its promise despite how much time has passed. The two sides exist in conflict; Emily represents southern tradition while the town represents change.

If Emily has a role in the community, it is as a source of gossip. She is a symbol of time that the town passes from generation to generation.(510) The town and the people change when the newer generation became the backbone and the spirit of the town(509) but Miss Emily never does. The townspeople assume that she is going to kill herself but they do nothing to prevent it. They assume suicide will be the best thing(508) for her. The communitys concern is to know her doings, not for her well-being. They approach Emily about her relationship with Homer because some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people.(509) They do not care if Homers sexuality will hurt Emily emotionally. The ladies of the town dont want people to think it is acceptable for single women to associate among homosexual men. This is another contrast between Emily and the community. The women of the town reject Homer while it is shown that Emily has a lifelong love for him. The community is disappointed when Homer disappears without a trace. They do not feel for Emily, they are a little disappointed that there was not a public-blowing off(509). They do not reach out to her when they realize Homer has left. She is constantly given special treatment. She cant reach out to the community because her problems would become trivialized by the constant gossip that would ensue.

Emilys life is defined by the need to maintain her dignity as the last Grierson.(508) The communitys role in her life is that of a record keeper. The community and Emily do not have direct involvement but they influence each other. Emily is forced to lead a private life while her suspicious actions leave the townspeople to know her only through gossip and hearsay.

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