Submitted by: Submitted by jinl337
Views: 87
Words: 980
Pages: 4
Category: Literature
Date Submitted: 06/20/2014 12:09 AM
Blinded Expectation
Throughout time, society continues to play a role in the development of culture and its ability to encourage or suffocate individual growth. A character’s progression is measured by the era in which they live in and what is considered acceptable and inappropriate. In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily”, the setting revolves around a post-Civil War period in which society sets a high standard for appropriate behavior. The main character, Miss Emily
Grierson, is constantly judged by the townspeople for her public and private existence. Because society has a high expectation for what is acceptable, it threatens the main character’s independent and causes her to have conflicts with the rest of the town. The conflict causes the protagonist of the story to become isolated.
Whether it is the topic of appearance, marriage or tradition, the town has a specific expectation for each of its members. When Miss Emily was younger, the town respected her and her family name with the narrator claiming “alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner 156). Because of the Grierson family name’s high stature, all the older generation aldermen never bothered her or her property. However, when Homer Barron is introduced to Miss Emily’s life, the newer generation of townspeople began to criticize her lack of action when it came towards marriage. Faulkner states “then some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people” (161). What was once a noble family became somewhat pitiful. The townspeople began calling Miss Emily “Poor Emily” (Faulkner 161) once they began to feel sorry for her. It’s arguable that the constant patronizing from the town caused Miss Emily to isolate her from the public.
Miss Emily’s self being also comes into question as her character becomes older. Because of her relationship with her father, she grew a...