"A Rose for Emily" by Kathy Franklin

Christopher Werner

2014-09-20 22:17:48 UTC

The plot structure that Faulkner uses allows the reader to get lost in the order of events because of the constant incongruities in the order of events thus making the final paragraph the most important and mysterious paragraph.

Austin Davis

2014-09-22 01:04:42 UTC

Through the use of puzzling foreshadowing and an inconsistent system of order of events, Faulkner forces the reader to become curiously lost, finalizing the exciting yet horrific ending with a small paragraph of massive literal power.

2014-09-22 11:56:10 UTC

Bethany Westra

2014-09-22 23:40:57 UTC

Through Faulkner's use of point

of view of the story, it creates a

character that seems helpless

and hopeless by her fellow

citizens. Emily's character is based

on the town she lived in and the

time period in which it took place.

The last paragraph showed the

reader how the towns people really

thought of Ms. Emily.

Jackie Chambers

2014-09-23 03:07:56 UTC

The Plot Structure is perhaps what makes the story most enjoyable.

Faulkner's use of blatant foreshadowing leaves the reader suspicious,

yet succumbed with doubt of the events towards the end.

It's setting forces the reader to think with a modern mind as we usually do,

and then transcript the events to the actual time period. It's captivating, really

Jackie Chambers- Response

2014-09-23 03:14:22 UTC

Austin Davis, your thoughts were very similar to mine.

I love how Faulkner is almost mocking our natural sense

to make more of a situation.

Aaron Climer

2014-09-23 03:37:31 UTC

Faulkner's decision to present the object of curiosity, that which being the

inside of Miss Grierson's house, at the start made it possible for the plot to

be designed in an obscure fashion by itself being the thing that which would

reveal clarity.

Aaron Climer (Response)

2014-09-23 03:44:56 UTC

Werner, I agree. The story really was

rough to follow until the end which

really revealed a lot about this

old lady Miss Emily Grierson. This

especially concerning the purchase of

Arsenic; it clarified why the intended use

was 'For Rats" (let's be honest, Homer

Barron wasn't really a good guy for

abandoning Grierson).

Ms. Franklin,

kfranklin1 — 2014-09-23 03:58:27 UTC

Aaron, I love the connection to "rats!" I've

taught this story for years, and

never saw that connection! Great

pick-up!

Ms. Franklin

kfranklin1 — 2014-09-23 04:00:27 UTC

Austin, I like the description "inconsistent."

You choice of a descriptive word that describes

the plot and Miss Emily's character is impressive!

Ms. Franklin,

kfranklin1 — 2014-09-23 04:02:39 UTC

Bethany, does Faulkner's pov choice

also show how women might have

felt during that time period? Nice analysis

for a short answer!

Natalie Wilson

2014-09-23 04:12:22 UTC

Faulkner uses characterization to reveal Emily's true character through physical description, her actions, feelings, and the narrator's direct commentary about her nature and also through the actions and feelings of the town. In the end we find that the treatment from her father molded her into the disturbedwoman she eventually became.

Natalie Wilson (response)

2014-09-23 04:22:14 UTC

Jackie Chambers, I agree that the way Faulkner pieces the events so they don't come across as hint but rather foreshadowing is what made the story to thrilling. It keeps the reader interested as they read through the narrators third person description of the events as he/she speaks for the town. I feel like it actually develops Emily more as a character being able to understand how her atmosphere felt about her.

Ivy Carter

2014-09-23 13:55:24 UTC

Emily's character is treated as a sweet woman who deserves pity because

she is old, a little out of it, unmarried, and unattractive.

Her murder of Homer shatters the townspeople's pre-

conceived notions of "poor Emily", who would more likely

kill herself than someone else, and that is definitely my favorite part of A Rose for Emily.

Myran

2014-09-23 13:57:24 UTC

Myranda Sykes

2014-09-23 13:57:26 UTC

Faulkner uses Emily's situatations

to characterize her as traditonal by

Lillian Jimenez

2014-09-23 13:57:48 UTC

Through the story, William Faulkner's

Cheryl Meredith

2014-09-23 13:58:09 UTC

Aaron, I like the way you described

Faulkner's development of

plot through presenting

Emily's death first.

For myself, I enjoyed the eeriness of the

story all together. The Gothic tone

foreshadowed the tragic end all by itself;

every other detail Faulkner gives is

just another rung on the ladder to the

ultimate murder.

Gissela Ruiz

2014-09-23 14:00:33 UTC

I like the way Faulkner represents Emily's loneliness and depression by killing Homer. I thought that by the way she killed him, she also killed herself and all the emotions she once felt towards 'love'.

Nicholas Werner

2014-09-23 14:11:48 UTC

Austin, I agree with how you explain that

"Faulkner forces the reader to become

curiously lost". However, I want to expand

and say Faulkner did it so that we, the readers,

could further understand the towns real

thoughts. For instance when Emily goes

to buy the arsenic, the town

assumes she was going to kill herself and yet they

did nothing about it.(the readers take on the town's thoughts)

The characterization of Emily in the beginning is

sort of a sweet innocent old lady, yet at the end she is not so

innocent. The characterization sort of flips.

Myranda Sykes

2014-09-23 14:15:14 UTC

When Faulkner first talks about Emily she

is thought to be innocent ,sweet, and helpless

but towards the end of the story and during

the flashbacks there is irony and you begin to

see she's just a typical Southern woman

living out of tradition.

Haley Pool

pool_haley — 2014-09-23 14:18:07 UTC

through the use of an outsider looking in on Miss. Emily's life, it gives the feeling of ambiguity to the plot, because the townsmen can only draw conclusions when Miss. Emily is out. Miss. Emily's dwindling sanity, shown strongly when she went to purchase the rat poison, also brings in the Gothic style of writing with the creepy details of her stare.

Collin Johnston

2014-09-23 14:21:09 UTC

With Aarons idea of a rat in mine Falker uses

an number of illusions to Emily activity it the story, such as the stink at the start of the story where he said "maybe her negro killed a rat or snake". This just continues to relate homer to dishonorable creaters.

Richard Batalla

2014-09-23 14:26:18 UTC

Jackie Chambers and Natalie Wilson I agree with both of you as what made the story so interesting is that the author wrote the story from a third-person POV, which gave us the perspective from the town on Emily, instead of the typical story coming from a first person POV. She never gives the reader Emily's view on herself, this makes the story very thrilling and mysterious as we never truly know what happened or what it was that Emily was feeling inside which makes the reader feel as if he was part of the town viewing on emily, it gives the reader the opportunity to create his own part of the story, which engages the readers mind fully.

nikki lozano (response)

2014-09-23 15:10:13 UTC

Jackie Chambers, I agree with your prospective

but in my opinon one would have to read this

story a few times through to appreciate the foreshawdowing

and setting that is described.

Efren Loquias

2014-09-23 16:22:06 UTC

The accumulating hints for the finale has allowed the story to increase in dramatic presentation. From the purchasing of "rat poison" to the disappearance of Homer, the dark finale can be created smoothly. Faulkner develops his story well, allowing the weirdness to develop rather than just abruptly creating the disturbing scene of Homer's dead body. The short story is well-written and organized in a unique yet effective manner.

Efren Loquias

2014-09-23 16:28:13 UTC

Giselle I also agree on the subject of Emily's continued weirdness. She has never fully healed from her oppressive father's death, and seems to seek comfort with Homer's dead body as if it was her father's body. Emily has never truly experienced freedom and has only lived under her father's rule, furthering her dependence on the deceased father. Basically, Emily is left damaged by her father, unable to be repaired.

Jair Sanchez

2014-09-23 16:57:59 UTC

I felt that Emily was the antagonist not as a character but the way she dependent on some one like Homer and her father.

Judith Reyna

2014-09-23 16:58:20 UTC

The protagonist in this short story has to be

Miss. Emily and her quest is her trying to find

happiness but she ended up not succeeding

Sarah Rogers

2014-09-23 17:42:16 UTC

Faulkner uses third person in a unique way that helps show the two views of the towns people and Emily. This helps the reader understand the plot development and characterization that the audience wouldn't be able to contribute from if written in first person for either view.

Judith Reyna

2014-09-23 17:46:19 UTC

Faulkners usage of gothic elements helps plot the story by adding suspenseful insights and therefore making the climax, unsuspected.

Sarah Rogers

2014-09-23 17:48:43 UTC

Natalie Wilson, I agree that her fathers death molded her to become the disturbed person she ended up dying as. After her fathers death, she really starts to convey suspicious activity that adds to her character development as well as plot development.

Judith Reyna

2014-09-23 17:59:56 UTC

Faulkners usage of gothic elements helps plot the story by adding suspenseful insights and therefore making the climax unsuspected

Morgan Howard

2014-09-23 23:35:44 UTC

Faulkner's structure kept the reader craving more of Emily and her tragedies. The author sculpted this story to intell what Emily was going to induce on herself, due to her dominant father.

Emily McCarty

2014-09-23 23:39:55 UTC

Faulkner first characterizes Miss Emily as an old women who everyone feels sorry for, due to the fact that she's elderly and on her own. In the end, when Homer's body is found, the towns people still sympathize towards Miss Emily because she was willing to kill so she wouldn't be alone.

Christopher Werner

2014-09-24 00:03:05 UTC

Judith, Faulkner uses gothic elements to help set the mood for the final paragraph. I don't believe that the final paragraph was as unexpected as you think, this being due to the purchase of the rat poison and the fact that no one ever saw Homer Barron again.

Noah Mathur

2014-09-24 01:27:57 UTC

Faulkner tells us of miss Emily's life in a town in which her family helped restore, and how her bitter craziness drove a town insane with the smell of death.

Bethany Westra (Respon

2014-09-24 03:53:47 UTC

Chris I agree with your depiction of the plot structure created by Faulkner. The order in which the story was told keeps the audience wanting to know the crazy ending of the story

Mariah Stegman

2014-09-24 13:36:14 UTC

The Plot Structure in this

story is very vivid. Emily represents

a way of life that has died and been replaced.

The plot develops out the contrast and conflict

between Emily and the people around her.

The contrast between the aristocratic woman and her unspeakable

secrets forms the basis of the story.

Mariah Stegman (Response)

2014-09-24 13:54:13 UTC

Sykes, from a readers point of view we are unable to see the events as Emily sees them. If Emily told the story, she would have to reveal the murder of Homer herself and subsequent behavior towards him. With that being said, I don't agree with Emily being so sweet and innocent, her mind is obviously twisted.

Samantha Smith

2014-09-24 18:50:18 UTC

Faulkner characterizes Miss Emily as a person who needs someone in her life. When her father died she denied the fact that he was and it took her days to finally bury him. Also, by killing Homer it shows that she never wanted to be alone and she always had to have someone with her.

Samantha Smith (Response)

2014-09-24 18:58:57 UTC

Emily, I agree that Faulkner characterized Miss Emily as an old woman who everyone sympathized because even when she committed a crime such as killing someone they still felt sorry for the fact that she did not want to be alone. I believe this was because she always had her father and when he left her she went as far as killing to make sure Homer did not leave her as well.

Evan Hall

2014-09-25 02:27:41 UTC

Faulkner uses several different tools to characterize Emily.

Those include the setting of the story, the social status, and her actions.

Being located in the South shows that there are still strict gender roles,

leading to her dependence on a man such as her father. The tax conflict

reveals that Emily tries to stay within her social class as a Southern lady.

Adding her actions with Homer's corpse shows the severity of the mental

/emotional damage that she received when her father died, leaving her alone.

Jennifer Moreno

2014-09-25 03:10:41 UTC

Gissela Ruiz I agree with you because Faulkner did use that setting of depression for us to feel some

sort of sympathy but in all its worth I do not at the least think that she has any type of excuse to have killed

Homer. She has no sympathy from my part and I think that Faulkner staged this story to have two opinions,

whether or not we should feel sympathy for her.