Introduction
Symbolism is an integral part of literature, supporting the expression of themes in literary works. According to Kadhim et al., symbolism presents a figurative style of writing through which writers express their messages and concepts that create meaning and aesthetics in the literature (1). Consequently, themes are essential in studying literary works, eliciting the author’s intended message to the readers. Accordingly, the research will look into William Faulkner’s literary work, recognized primarily for his influence on Southern literature as one of the most important contributors. He was raised in an aristocratic family that presented a deep sense of his southern nature, with his grandfather as a pioneer of the old South (Huang 203). He was deemed to have been a curator of the Southern life experience, presenting an accurate depiction for readers. His contributions granted him a Nobel Prize and two Pulitzer Prizes on account of some of his literary works. Hence, the analysis focuses on his work, “A Rose for Emily,” which offers substantial insights into literature and thematic analysis of stories. The perceived outcome of the study is that Faulkner employs symbolism in the expression of themes of horror and resistance to change, supporting a deeper understanding of literary mechanisms.
Background of the Short Story
The story’s background is essential to contextualize the analysis, eliciting a basis for the process. Thus, the story “A Rose for Emily” is presented as a realistic depiction of life in the Southern area revolving around Emily Grierson, the main character. It showed the horrific and mysterious life she leads, presenting a gothic perspective of life in the South of the USA as the story was set in Jefferson (Matta 274). While the story employed a diversity of themes, the fundamental theme of the short story is the resistance to change and the associated gruesome terror in the Southern gothic character. The story was based on an array of flashbacks and foreshadowing sequences, creating anomalous perspectives of the era. As such, Matta postulated that the story began with Emily’s funeral, introducing skepticism of the dynamic of society and the satisfaction of entering Emily’s house (274). The reader is attracted to unchronological events as they piece Faulkner’s message.
Thematic Analysis
Resistance to Change. Resistance to change is a theme presented through various symbolic presentations by Faulkner. Matta argued that the theme symbolized the nature of humankind to combine and make an assumption that benefits a group rather than an individual, delving into the impact of social constructs (279). Primarily, the social perception of Emily was resistant as they viewed her as old-fashioned. The house stood out against the urban activity as an eyesore to the community, withstanding the changes of the new Southern era. The changes were brandished to have been set in a modernizing Jefferson, as Faulkner indicated the development of new garages, gasoline pumps, and cotton wagons (Matta 279). Thus, the theme presents a symbolic decay of community in some areas as Emily opts to leave the house as it is.
Symbolism is perpetuated through Emily and the house, recurring subjects in the story. In its beginning, the phrasing, “When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral… a fallen monument… out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen in at least ten years,” depicted the social perspective of the house and its disturbing nature (Faulkner 1). The narrator displayed Emily as a monument, reflecting on her nature of resisting change and remaining a lasting character that is never changing. Abdurrahman argued that just as Emily was described as a monument, Faulkner also presents the house in a similar light through the narrator, preserved over time (2). The symbolic presentation is engraved in the reader Emily’s mindset and that of the community that labeled people from an external perspective, judging her actions without identifying the cause of action. Thus, Faulkner’s symbolization of Emily and the house were symbols of resistance to change as a theme.
The existential debate on the payment of taxes revealed a relationship between Emily’s family and the town management that allowed their exemption from taxes. However, soon after the father’s test, Emily faced a challenging choice when tax collectors pursued her to pay taxes to which she was unaccustomed. Therefore, her consistent stance not to pay the taxes as they had previously been doing reflects refuting change. Emily was also resistant to accepting her father’s death, as she repeatedly stated that he was alive and declined permission for his burial (Matta 282). In addition, the presentation of Homer as a potential suitor to Emily was received negatively in the community as the people sought to derail the marriage. The intrinsic factor was that Homer was a Northerner presenting a variation to the norms of the society. The disapproval, in some sense, would warrant a level of conferred resistance to change as the community involved Emily’s cousins (Matta 274). Thus, the community presents an added symbolism for resistance to change.
Horror. Horror and gruesome activities are a central feature of the story, with revelations of deeds that are terrifying. Matta presented the townspeople’s perception of Emily as a horrific and disdained individual in society, especially when she bought arsenic (280). The community’s assumption was dreadful as they concluded that she lacked the fortitude to accept the father’s death, assuming the poison (arsenic) was intended for suicide (Matta 280). The depiction symbolizes Faulkner’s description of resistance to change from diverse perspectives, painting the Southern region at the time to be characterized by social-cultural influence on an individual.
In the story, one predominant theme is the subject of horror, which is the gruesome nature of the story with graphic and chilling events. Perhaps the dominant factor that presents as the horrific acts portrayed by Faulkner is the necrophiliac tendencies by Emily. Hossain perpetuated that necrophilia in the short story denoted her tendency to sleep with the corpse of the deceased Homer Barron for four decades. The description of the corpse symbolizes the act as gruesome, yet Emily held onto the corpse. Moreover, the societal environment is horrific in the acts done by Emily as the deduction in the book revealed that the arsenic she bought was intended for Homer, whom she poisoned and slept with the corpse. Therefore, societal perceptions were influential in branding people, which was inaccurate.
Conclusion
The analysis reveals intricate features of Faulkner’s perspective of the Southern Gothic era. The key takeaway from the thematic analysis is the impact of figurative language and themes that invoke a sense of imagination for listeners. The themes support the writer’s capacity to immerse the reader to place themselves in such an environment and invoke imagery of the Southern character at that time. Based on the themes, the story can essentially be presented as a depiction of Faulkner’s experience and perspective. The Southern region was indicated to experience significant social-cultural influence on people’s lives. In this frame of thought, there were threats of social segregation and discrimination resulting from the Southerners’ traits. Faulkner presented a unique approach, presenting an imaginative platform through which literature preserves historical knowledge. His symbolism offered a distinct tool for understanding the state of society and human interactions in a deeper context.
Work Cited
Abdurrahman, Isrra A. A Stylistic Analysis of Complexity in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”. 2016. College of Education for Women Tikrit University, PhD dissertation. Research Gate. Web.
Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. Gothic digital Series, 1930, Web.
Huang, Yan. “An Analysis on Rose in A Rose for Emily.” Journal of Social Science Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2019, p. 202. Web.
Kadhim, Suzanne A., et al. “Symbolism in literature: A Socio-stylistic Study.” Linguistics and Education, vol. 7, no. 1, 2022, Research Gate. Web.
Matta, May. “The Abyss of the Unknown in the Books “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “A Rose for Emily”.” European Scientific Journal, ESJ, vol. 14, no. 2, 2018, p. 273, Research Gate. Web.