Symbolism in "A Rose for Emily"

Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”

In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” numerous symbolic elements are presented to the reader throughout the story. We hear about Emily’s house, the pocket watch, the hair, lime and arsenic and death and taxes. Each of these symbolizes a meaning buried within the story and each is equally interesting. The symbolic element I will be discussing is Emily’s house and how the house relates to Emily throughout the story.

The house of Emily is a very important literary symbol in the story. Emily’s house represents the dying Southern aristocracy of the old south. It is a large home designed by influential architects of the 1870s. Faulkner stated that the house was big with a squarish frame that had once been painted white, decorated with cupolas, spires, and scrolled balconies. It is located on a street in a neighborhood that was once only for the elite and privileged but times have changed as have the condition of the house and the street. Neither the house nor the street is as immaculate or affluent as they once were; both now seen as the worst in the town.

The house is a symbol of how Emily has become old and broken-down because of the neglect for herself. Emily used to be very beautiful in her youth but with time, she became less and less of an vital figure in her town because she stopped taking care of herself. Faulkner described the house as the worst of eyesores. Emily let herself become just like her house; she became an eyesore to the people of the town because she neglected herself. In her prime, Emily had a slender figure but later in life, she resembled a bloated, motionless body immersed in the still waters with her eyes barely visible.

The house is a huge symbol of Miss Emily's isolation. Emily was like most people, she wanted a house she could love someone in and be free. She thought she had this with Homer Barron until something went horribly wrong. This turned her house into a prison. She had nowhere else to go...