The Nature of Time and Change in William Faulkners A...

The Nature of Time and Change in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily In A Rose for Emily, William Faulkners use of language foreshadows and builds up to the climax of the story. His choice of words is descriptive, tying resoundingly into the theme through which Miss Emily Grierson threads, herself emblematic of the effects of time and the nature of the old and the new. Appropriately, the story begins with death, flashes back to the near distant past and leads on to the demise of a woman and the traditions of the past she personifies. Faulkner has carefully crafted a multi-layered masterpiece, and he uses language, characterization, and chronology to move it along, a sober commentary flowing beneath on the nature of time, change,†¦show more content†¦We learn that her voice was dry and cold and that she did not accept no for an answer (667). Her house, a fading photograph, smelled of dust and disuse-a closed, dank smell, and when her guests are seated a faint dust rises sluggishly about their thighs (667). All of these terms suggest neglect, d ecay, entropy: each of these elements tie in with the surface layer as well as the deeper themes upon which Faulkner tiers. After carefully building such descriptive statements, Faulkner flashes back in time and examines the events that lead up to the moment of death. This toggling of events has been skillfully constructed, building suspense in a way that a straight forward chronology could not. The first unusual element that catches the curiosity of the reader is the mention of the smell, which happened thirty years before (667). The smell, however, continues to persist, rapping on the readers curiosity for attention: What is the significance of this infernal smell? Faulkner chooses to tell us only enough to keep us guessing, diverting us with the four men who slunk about the house like burglars, sniffing along the base of the brickwork with a single man forming a regular sowing motion with the lime in his hand (668). No sooner is this done, however, than the light comes on and Emilys upright torso [sits] motionless as that of an idol (668). HereShow MoreRelatedWilliam Faulkner s Writing Style1486 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Faulkner, who lived his entire live in Mississippi, was a Nobel Prize- winning writer who became well-known for his work set in the American South. After dropping out of high school and working in multiple different fields, he was commissioned as a major in the Hawaiian Territorial Forces. Faulkner later enrolled in the University of Mississippi and began his writing career; writer Sher wood Anderson gave Faulkner advice, stating that he should write about his native home of Mississippi. Read MoreA Rose For Emily Literary Analysis957 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Faulkner is a well-known author, whose writing belongs in the Realism era in the American Literary Canon. His writing was influence by his Southern upbringing, often setting his stories in the fictional Southern town, Yoknapatawpha County. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† was one of Faulkner’s first published pieces and displays many of the now signature characteristics of Faulkner’s writing. The short story provides commentary through the use of many symbols. In William Faulkner’s short story, â€Å"A RoseRead MoreEssay about A Withering Rose inWilliam Faulkner’s, A Rose For Emily540 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s, A Rose For Emily, encompasses various themes, but the theme most prevalent in the short story is decay. Time waits for no one, and for Miss Emily Gri erson, time left her behind. A Rose For Emily depicts the motionless decay of a woman stuck in time, as her concept of reality is lost. Throughout the story Faulkner characterizes Emily and the atmosphere around her as addled and withered. In the short story, A Rose For Emily, by William Faulkner, a woman is ultimately overcome byRead MoreDecadence in Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay750 Words   |  3 PagesDecadence in Faulkners A Rose For Emily March 7, 2006 Decadence in Faulkners A Rose For Emily Outline: ol li value=1 Southern decadence and the state of the south li value=2 Emilys life, her family and how the changes in the south affect them li value=3 What Emily does and why in reaction to those factors li value=4 The townspeoples actions and how they are able to participate in Emilys denial and be decadent as well. li value=5 About Faulkner himselfRead More Importance of Human Interaction in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily1372 Words   |  6 PagesImportance of Human Interaction in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Are human beings responsible for the well being of others that they come into contact with? William Faulkners story A Rose for Emily considers the significance that human interaction has or does not have on peoples lives. Faulkner creatively uses a shocking ending to cause readers to reevaluate their own interactions with others in their lives. Throughout the story, Faulkner uses characters that may relate to the readersRead MoreA Rose For Emily By William Faulkner923 Words   |  4 PagesA Rose for Emily; A Tale of The Old South William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897 but lived most of his life in Oxford, a small town nearby. After dropping out of high school then briefly joining the Canadian Air Force, he returned home and completed three terms at the University of Mississippi (Fulton 27). During his early twenties Faulkner spent time in New Orleans and Europe before returning to Oxford and publishing his first book of poems. In 1929 he married Estelle FranklinRead More The Role of the Watch in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily1199 Words   |  5 PagesThe Role of the Watch in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Even the casual reader of William Faulkner will recognize the element of time as a crucial one in much of the writers work, and the critical attention given to the subject of time in Faulkner most certainly fills many pages of criticism. A goodly number of those pages of criticism deal with the well-known short story, A Rose for Emily. Several scholars, most notably Paul McGlynn, have worked to untangle the confusing chronologyRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Rose For Emily And Dry August2559 Words   |  11 Pagesone of the most well-known authors still known today? Even though William Faulkner did not finish school (â€Å"William Faulkner – Biographical†), he certainly knew how to capture a reader’s attention and drop them into a new world with just a pen. The style in which he writes is unique. With only three semesters of college, he was forced to create from nearly a blank slate; college had not brainwashed him in to a repetitive nature with writing a certa in way. He was forced to think outside the boxRead MoreA Rose For Emily Symbolism Analysis1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe Symbolism of the Setting in Faulkner’s and Hemingway’s Stories The place where the story is set plays the most significant role in the majority of fiction pieces, since it is the setting that outlines the plot development and influences the heroes’ decisions and general characteristics. In Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† the setting is raised to the symbolic level. When the outside portrayal does not correspond to what is happening inside the characterRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Rose For Emily1299 Words   |  6 Pagesengine in a car. Factors that reveal the author’s message to the reader are critical. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, uses point of view, character, and symbolism to bring the reader into his world. It is through the eyes of the narrator that the reader can see the lapse of Miss Emily’s timeline, the unfolding of her character, and the symbolic nature of her actions and possessions. The changes the town o f Jefferson goes through, decade after decade reveals the contrast with Miss Emily’s