A Rose for Emily, An Examination of Characterization
Summary:
Explores characterization in "A Rose for Emily" written by William Faulkner. Focuses on the character of Emily. Explains why the character of Emily is static and round in nature.
After reading "A Rose for Emily" written by William Faulkner, the characterization of the main players proves to be rather difficult. When choosing between static and dynamic, as well as round or flat, certain qualities explained must be taken with a grain of salt because they are explained by the narrator. In the following essay, I will describe why Emily's character is that of static and round in nature.
The reason Emily is a static character is because she and her family, the Griersons, "held themselves a little too high for what they really were." (Faulkner 284) She seems to have a stubborn and stuck up attitude. The reason for that attitude was due to her father, who had given a substantial amount of money to the town and the compensation was understood that Miss Emily would live tax free. Throughout the story she is continually felt sorry for by the townspeople, yet never lost her holier-than-thou attitude. As Faulkner states, "She carried her head high enough-even when we believed that she was fallen."
Miss Emily is a round character because at the end her personality of a loveless shut in is transformed into a sympathetic adorer. The relationship she had with her on again of again boyfriend was never clear amongst the town rumors. In the end, we find the treatment from her father while she was growing up molded her into the person the town had believed her to be. She actually was a woman with a deep heart who did not want the love of her life to disappear as all had done in the past. Her personality seemed to change dramatically and all that she had not shown the public was personified with one "iron gray hair." (Faulkner 289)
Work Cited
Faulkner, William. " A Rose For Emily." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed.
This is the complete article, containing 307 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
