Analysis of a Rose for Emily

An Analysis of the Sections in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”

English Composition 1102

Thursday Night

An Analysis of the Conflicts in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”

Outline

I. Outline

II. Introduction

A. Opening Statement

B. Author Information

III. Body

A. Section One

B. Section Two

C. Section Three

D. Section Four

E. Section Five

IV. Conclusion

V. Works Cited

OPENING STATEMENT

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is the story of an eccentric spinster, Emily Grierson. Emily lived a luxurious life in a poor southern state, obeying her overbearing father until her ultimate death. “A Rose for Emily” begins with the death of Miss Emily Grierson and proceeds to tell the story of her life in the years leading up to her death and the horrible secret she has kept hidden.

The story is told from the point of view of a nameless narrator and a longtime citizen of Jefferson, Mississippi. He notes that while the men attend the funeral out of obligation, the women go primarily because no one has been in, nor seen the inside of Emily’s house for years. It should also be noted that Jefferson is a critical setting in much of Faulkner’s fiction.

The story is told in five sections, and opens in section one with an unnamed narrator describing the funeral of Miss Emily Grierson. The narrator not only speaks for himself but also represents the community at large. The story continues on through section five where the narrator describes what happens after Emily dies.

The story was originally published in the April 30, 1930, issue of Forum Magazine. It was his first short story to ever be published in a major magazine. A slightly revised version appeared in two collections of his short fictions, These 13 (1931) and Collected Stories (1950).

AUTHOR INFORMATION

William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897, and began to write poetry as a teenager. He was a below average student, and dropped...