Emily's Isolation
Having to deal with someone who is in their own world, their own different state of mind rather than the regular thoughts people have is difficult. Emily Grierson seems to be a woman who keeps to herself, and those who are closest to her such as her father, Tobe, and at one point Homer Barron; once those ones who are close to her vanish she resorts to closing off her life in eventual complete isolation from the outside world until her death.
Emily being the way she is, it makes the townspeople want to have an understanding for her situation, but they cannot seem ti find a way to put up with the consequences from the way she acts around the people of the town ans also how she treats them. The townspeople all come a census of something they don't like of Emily and go to the Board of Aldermen and ask them to do something about the problem that she is causing in the town. A smell started to develop and the base of it was specifically Emily's kitchen, so they say. One of Emily's neighbors complains to the Mayor and soon to follow a few more complaints came in about the smell, thinking that a law was being broken with the odor. They tired to go about telling her in a way she'll understand and do something about it. After a week or two the smell went away(92). The people go about dealing with Miss Emily so awkwardly and it shows. More than likely this makes her want to keep more and more to herself, and not trust others.
Among the townspeople who do not know how to handle Miss Emily is Colonel Sartoris.
He seems to, in a way, get where Emily is coming from and understands her state of mind. This may be the reason people complain about her. He tries his best to make up an excuse for her, and make the problem seem light and not such a big deal. A simple example may be when people came to complain
about the smell coming from Emily's house, he made up an excuse stating it may be a dead snake smell. This may also may be the reason for her to bring up Colonels name, like she was comfortable doing so. I have no taxes in Jefferson, Colonel Sartoris explained it to me (91). She may see him as an escape route for many things such as this, and other problems that arise in a way that if she mentions his name the problem that is may be forgiven easier.
Moreover on the tax problem Miss Emily had, the sheriff had approached her to discuss what had been the issue and got a negative, close minded response. There was simply no record of Emily paying her taxes. Emily said that she doesn't have any taxes in Jefferson and continuously repeated that, and wouldn't let the man explain to her what was going on. She got frustrated and eventually asked Tobe to escort them out. The sheriff does not know how to handle a mind like Emily's. The sheriff does not know how to speak to Emily obviously in a sense where she would understand, if that is even possible. She may feel as if no one understands her and that she must stay in because it is possible she may be burden to the townspeople.
Beyond the point that it is difficult for people to understand Miss Emily are people who do care and love her, and they happen to be whom she trusts and loves also, which also has a consequence of contributing to her isolation. Miss Emily being the way she is, and knowing how she has acted when her father had passed , it is apparent Emily and her father were close. Emily acted really odd when her father died by forcing herself to believe that he didn't even die. The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call the house and offer condolence and aid as is our custom Miss Emily met them at the door and told them that her father was not dead (93). Emily was a bit more strange after her father's death, she became more odd in how she acted. Someone who she had loved left her, and so she denied the fats in her mind until she believed them to the fullest. She began to go out less and less after her her father's death, this seemed to be the way she chose to go about dealing with the a death the best way she knew how, isolation.
While it seemed Emily isolated herself from the town after her fathers death, it was a surprise when she had appeared to have found love in Homer Barron. Though we do not hear much about him though the story, we know Emily actually puts an effort, somewhat, because she has longed for someone to love, trust, and understand her, she apparently found that in Homer.Then we were sure they were married. We learned that Miss Emily had been to the jeweler's and ordered a man's toilet set in silver, with the letters H.B. on each piece. Two days later we learned she had bought a complete outfit of men's clothing, including a nightshirt, and we said They're married.(94). Emily ended up killing Homer and did not dispose of the body, so it was like Homer left Emily and never came back for her, is what it seemed like to the townspeople. After this incident Emily completely cut herself off from the outside world. She never came out of her house, and never went out. From this point she literally had Tobe do everything for her, get anything and everything she needed, just so she could stay inside her house. It is as if she felt like she couldn't trust or love again and didn't want to even put effort onto anything besides her isolation to her rotting home. This specific happening lead Emily to her full on complete isolation.
As Tobe being her right hand man, to get whatever it was she asked for, it made it beyond easy for her to stuck in her house, which made it okay to do this. Emily was okay to be alone constantly with the exception of Tobe. Daily, monthly, yearly we watched the Negro grow grayer and more stooped, going in and out with the market basket (97). Tobe doing what he does for her, is just giving into Emily's problem. Emily completely and fully relies on him for what she needs. Even though Tobe had contact with Emily, it seems as if they never really communicated other than if she had requested something. Emily has a thick space bubble around herself and it does not let a single soul in. Emily knew she could count on Tobe and that in a way was comforting to her, but it also fed into her isolation.
After everything has happened the way they did in Emily's life, it is safe to say that it is unfortunate she did not have to confidence to pursue anything else after all her downfalls. In Emily's
life she did not have anyone to reassure her tough personality and that itself just fed and fed into her problem of keeping to herself and leading to her cutting out the world from her life. It is essentially important to read and interpret this story as what comes to your mind first. Some people may see it though the townspeople's eyes, and others may see it though Emily's eyes. Some people may even see it through the eyes of Tobe or Homer Barron, and how they may have possibly been treated or treated someone. It is easy to relate to this story with many different situations and problems one may have gone though in their life as well. Emily is a woman who keeps to herself and those who are close to her. When people in her life who she trusts and loves disappears, she moves more towards her isolation. Many can relate to Emily and this story.
Works Cited
Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martians, 2009. 91-97. Print
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