Exploring Patriarchy and Violence in Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily'

This essay analyzes William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," focusing on the themes of patriarchy and violence and their impact on the protagonist, Emily Grierson. The essay argues that Emily's psychological downfall is a result of the destructive patriarchal society in which she lives, highlighting how her father's control and societal expectations lead to her isolation and eventual act of violence. The analysis explores the relationship between Emily and the men in her life, particularly her father and Homer Barron, and how their influence contributes to her tragic fate. The essay concludes that Emily's actions are a desperate attempt to maintain her dignity and find love within a restrictive and oppressive environment. The essay also refers to literary works to support its arguments.

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A Rose for Emily
William Faulkner, the famous American writer, is well known for his novels and short
stories. “A Rose for Emily” is a famous short story by the Nobel Prize winner and it is placed in
Jefferson, Mississippi (Song 2291). Faulkner spent most of his life in Mississippi and the way he
places his characters, places, and communities, he makes them both unique and universal. His
stories and characters reflect the hopes, the sorrows and the ordinariness in daily lives. The era of
“A Rose for Emily” could be today (Nichols 150). Many women could relate to her life even
today. In the literary world, Emily Grierson is perhaps one of the most discussed female
characters.
Emily, the protagonist of the story, becomes a psychological mess, because of her
unrealizable dreams due to the destructive patriarchal society. The paper argues how Emily does
not hesitate to use violence to defend her reputation within the old-fashioned patriarchy.
Emily’s life changes a lot after the American civil war, but her father is unwilling to
accept the changes (Song 2292). He and Emily keep living the same life they were used to and
did not want to get free of their past glories. Emily hardly goes out as she is an aristocrat and
hardly communicates with the people in the town. Although Emily’s emotions are suppressed,
she relies on her father’s control for her protection and security (Yang 1851). Her father
discourages the young men pursuing her as he looks down upon them. Emily is expected to
follow traditional rules because of her noble parentage. She is expected to marry within her
status and behave like an elegant, genteel lady (Yang 1850). Although Emily’s father does not

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appear in the whole story, the readers can feel his influence everywhere. The author expresses
the bond between the father and his daughter in the scene where the two of them are framed
together” her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a
horsewhip” (Faulkner.123). The writer shows the supremacy of the patriarchal father over his
daughter. He drives away all her suitors or men interested in her and she is still single when
thirty (Yang 1851). Her overprotective father and his arrogant, proud nature overlook the desire
for happiness and marriage in Emily.
Homer Barron is the only other important man in Emily’s’ life. His sudden appearance
and his advances towards her makes her is like a spark in her life. Homer is popular, full of life
and funny. He infuses a new spirit in the sad life of Emily, who is completely fascinated with the
man (Yang 1852). Her uncontrolled emotions make her fall in love with He is the next man after
her father who gives her the sense of security. However, he is not serious about Emily who is
desperate to marry him. She tries hard to make him a prisoner of love, but he is a playboy (Yang
1853). There is even an inclination that Homer is homosexual as he himself had commented that
“he liked men” (Nichols 155). The only way she can keep him is by murdering him. Her brief
affair with Homer is like the last straw as she is not willing to let him abandon her. As a result,
she poisons him just to keep him near her. This is her way of getting love and companionship
(Song 2292). The murder of Homer Barron is Emily’s frantic attempt to keep him in her
traditional world of marriage, and family (O’Brien 106). So hills him so that she can be with him
for the rest of her life.
Emily belongs to a Southern aristocratic family who is overprotected and controlled by
the parental authorities. She opts for violence to keep her aristocratic dignity intact (Yang 1850).
The society and its high expectations from women like Emily only destroy their natural needs

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and motivate them to embark on a path of self-destruction. Emily’s position and her status plus
the problematic conditions set by her father and to expectations of the society are the reasons
behind her mental illness or bizarre behavior. It is the loneliness in her life that takes a toll on
her, and she develops psychotic symptoms.
To conclude on the discussion, on William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” it is apparent
that it is the men in Emily’s ‘life that bring her downfall. First is her father who exercises
excessive control over his daughter and ignores here dreams and desires, just because of their
aristocratic status. Next is Homer, whom she meets away from the shadows of her father, but he
does not care for her or her feelings. Faulkner finishes the story with a gruesome ending and
murder.

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Works Cited
Faulkner, William. " A Rose for Emily." Perfection Learning, vol. 1, no. 1, 2007, pp. 1-36.
Nichols, Kenneth. “Case Study pass:[#]1: A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner.” Public
Voices, vol. 13, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 150–164.
O’Brien, Timothy. “Who Arose for Emily?” Faulkner Journal, vol. 29, no. 1, Spring 2015, pp.
101–109.
Song, Zijiao. “Transitivity Analysis of A Rose for Emily.” Theory and Practice in Language
Studies, no. 12, 2013, p. 2291.
Yang, Pingping. “A Road to Destruction and Self-Destruction: The Same Fate of Emily And
Elly.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, no. 10, 2013, p. 1850.