Character Analysis Miss Emily - 995 Words

Meghan Vidrine Dr. Fontenot English 1002, Section 05 30 April 2013 Miss Emily Grierson William Faulkner makes it very clear in his short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† who the protagonist of his story is. Within the first few paragraphs of the story, we can tell that Miss Emily Grierson was not an ordinary woman of her times. It is said in paragraph two that â€Å"no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron.† However, Miss Emily was not like the other women. The mayor of the town had â€Å"remitted her taxes.† From this moment, it is known that this is an eccentric woman. According to Random House Webster’s Dictionary, eccentric simply means â€Å"unconventional, as in behavior; odd† (223). As the story continues, it becomes known†¦show more content†¦Somehow Miss Emily was able to buy arsenic without confirming to the druggist what it was being used for. Many people in the town had pity for Miss Emily. She was a single woman who lived alone and would rarely leave her house. When she was on the streets, many would say, â€Å"poor Emily,† because she was a single woman and seemed lonely. According to Thomas Argiro in Miss Emily After Dark, â€Å"Her morbid behavior suggests a profound pathology that naturally raises serious doubts about her sanity† (447). One day, a Yankee named Homer Baron came into town. People began seeing him and Miss Emily around town together and going home together. She had no trouble showing off her affair around town. During the 1890s, affairs were not even to be thought of. People began criticizing her and saying â€Å"Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk should come to her.† Therefore, it was no surprise when it became known that Miss Emily had gone to the drugstore to buy arsenic. It was no surprise to the townspeople because during the 1890s, people were considered as good as dead when they were having an affair. However, Miss Emily did what others could not. She would not tell the druggist what the poison was for, but s ince it was for Miss Emily he played it off as she were buying it to kill rats. At the time, it was not legal to buy arsenic without truly knowing what the person wanted to use it for. This was another illegal thing that Miss EmilyShow MoreRelatedMiss Emily Character Analysis741 Words   |  3 Pageshe Misunderstood, Monumental, Murderer, Miss Emily Viewed by the people in her town as a monument and a tradition of the town, Miss Emily represents the past way of living trying to stand firm in an ear changing society. While she is seen as a statuesque figure the townspeople still do not understand her and they show pity towards her, little did they know what she was hiding in her home. Miss Emily grew up in a rich family, she was raised at a higher standard than others and her home is describedRead MoreWilliam Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay1382 Words   |  6 PagesEmily’s Downward Spiral: An Analysis of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† In William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† the main character of the story is Miss Emily Grierson. To analyze and examine her character, it is almost impossible not to look at the psychological aspect of it. Through the narrative of Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Miss Emily’s behavior and character is revealed as outright strange from any average standard of characters. A few days after they lay Miss Emily’s body to rest, theRead MoreA Tale of Terror 1087 Words   |  4 PagesPeculiar characters, eerie settings, and strange events leading up to a horrifying ending are all effective ways in which authors present their readers with a terrifying tale to remember. 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For example, Faulkner writes â€Å" knocked at the door through which no visitor had passed since she ceased givingRead MoreEssay about A Rose For Emily1037 Words   |  5 PagesPlot summary A Rose for Emily is a short story divided into five sections: Section one opens with a description of the Grierson home and its setting in Jefferson. The narrator mentions that over the past 25 years Miss Emily’s home has fallen into despair and become an eyesore among eyesores. The first sentence of the story sets the tone of how the citizens of Jefferson felt about Emily: When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to the funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affectionRead MoreEssay on William Faulkners A Rose for Emily1539 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Faulkners A Rose for Emily As any reader can see, A Rose for Emily is one of the most authentic short stories by Faulkner. 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As you finish this story the first time, you might consider it as a darkRead MoreEmily Grierson From A Rose For A Rose For Emily1233 Words   |  5 Pagescritical essay that Emily Grierson from a â€Å"Rose for ‘A Rose for Emily’† was empowered and victimized by her gender and class. However the girl from â€Å"Boys and Girls† and Gertrude from Hamlet had not been as lucky as Miss Emily. In a â€Å"Rose for ‘A Rose for Emily’† Emily Grierson was the daughter of Mr. Grierson, who was a respected man in Jefferson. After his death Miss Emily still conserved her title of a lady even if all the town folks knew that she didn’t have money left. Miss Emily took advantage ofRead MoreA Rose For Emily By William Faulkner1326 Words   |  6 PagesA Rose For Emily Fiction Analysis English Literature Essay In A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner tells the story of an old and lonely lady stuck in her own timeframe. Her controlling father died some thirty years ago and she has never quite found her own ground. 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