Introduction
Emily Grierson, the main character in Faulkner’s ‘A Rose for Emily’, is a complex and mysterious character. She is a caricature of a character in a gothic story that Faulkner envisioned for his book. Emily’s story is told by a narrator who dwells within the same society. The narrator presents her as oppressed by her father, representing the female subjugation pervading the American society then (Fetterley 23). She endures the suppression by recoiling to her shell, an aspect that enshrouds her with a mysterious mien. The demise of her father leads her to seek company in Homer whom she later poisons in what critics have termed as an illustration of her necromania (Skei, Hans, and William 23). Given her eccentric demeanor, Emily’s character traits can only be discerned through her actions and words; towards her father, Homer, and the society that has largely misunderstood her.
Main body
A daughter of an unconventional father, Emily inherited a degree of her insanity from her family (Fetterley 24). The father was domineering and openly hostile to suitors who attempted to betroth his daughter. Consequently, Emily remained unmarried even after attaining the age of marriage. The death of her father comes as a relief to her. The narrator propounds that the death had restored humanity to Emily (Faulkner 243). She had been accustomed to the dominion to the extent that she accepted it. This is best exemplified by her actions towards Homer. When the latter attempts to desert her, she cannot think of any other means of keeping him rather than through death (Fetterley 23).
Through the narrator, it is understood that the Grierson family enjoyed high status in society (283). The society thus impressed upon Emily to retain a sense of mysteriousness that her family had kept for a long time. But the high status belongs to her past. Society wants her to live in the past that is already behind her. This explains her bizarre conservatism. She will not admit the death of her father, just as she did not acknowledge the death of a neighbor some time back. When she moves to her other house in Victoria, she remains impervious to the changes that are sweeping the community. She lacks a sense of transition rekindling Faulkner’s fascination with portraying characters caught between the present and future (Fetterley 27).
Emily’s oddity takes new heights when she exhibits what can only be termed as necrophilism. Necrophilia is a person who has strong sexual attraction to non-living people or objects. People with such tendencies are usually domineering and would do preposterous things to control others. Emily depicts such tendencies, first as a reaction to her father’s death and second as a tool to control Homer (Fetterley 23). Notice that his father controlled her in all aspects to the level of derogating her sexuality. When her father dies, she holds onto him by refusing to acknowledge his death. Long after it sank into her mind that her father was dead, she turns to Homer. Take cognizance that she killed him by poisoning and was found years later entangled in his arms.
Conclusion
Emily’s complexity baffles the reader especially those who are not familiar with Faulkner’s characterization. At one point, she appears like any other American woman of her time struggling in a male-dominated society. At another moment, she exhibits bizarre traits that confound society and the readers.
Works Cited
Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. Logan, Iowa: Perfection Learning Corp, 1990. Print.
Fetterley, Judith. The Resisting Reader: A Feminist Approach to American Fiction. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1981. Print.
Skei, Hans H, and William Faulkner. Reading Faulkner’s Best Short Stories. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1999. Print.