Emily's Refusal to Recognise Change in A Rose for Emily Essay

Miss Emilys body was described once as, bloated like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue (30). This is only one example the author gives about Miss Emily Griersons condition. In the short story, A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, the main character, Miss Emily Griersons behavior, including, but not limited to her interactions with the town, the environment she lives in, and her physical description all show that she has a explicit inability to recognize change. Emily also has two medical conditions kainotophobia and necrophilia. Kainotophobia is the fear of change and necrophilia is the sexual attraction to corpses (dictionary.com)

Miss Emily shows several behavioral examples of her refusal to recognize change. The first of which, is simply that she does not leave her house for the majority of the rest of her life from the mid point of the story. Faulkner explains this by repetitively stating that the front door of her house remained closed (33). WebMD lays out the symptoms or possible warning signs of a Kainotophobiac, and one of them is staying a home or self seclusion. Miss Emily meets Homer Barron, a Yankee foreman working on the towns sidewalks, and falls in love with him. When Homer hints towards the fact that he may be gay, thus leading to him not wanting to get married, Emily takes action. Now comes the second condition; necrophilia. She poisons her lover and lays him in a bed and sleeps next to his corpse so that he may never leave her. Kainotophobiacs also have a very hard time with relationships; especially intimate ones (WebMD). Relationships evolve, and that means change, which she cannot accept. Miss Emily provides the previously stated behavioral examples, recognized by the reader, as her refusal to accept change.

Miss Emily Griersons interactions with the town expose her difficulties with change as well. The story opens with Miss Emily arguing with the town authorities about why she should not have to pay taxes. According to Miss Emilys account of history, her father once loaned the town money. Miss Emilys understanding of this agreement was once Miss Emilys father passed away she would be relieved of her need to pay taxes as a way to repay the debt, as set up by Colonel Sartoris, the town mayor. When the city authorities state that they have reviewed the city records and are unable to access this information, Miss Emily informs them, see Colonel Sartoris. (Colonel Sartoris had been dead almost ten years.) I have no taxes in Jefferson... (30). After Miss Emily closed herself off to the world, for the final time by shutting herself up in her house, the town gets a free postal service. All that is required of its citizens is to let them fasten metal numbers above each persons door and attach a mailbox to it (33). Miss Emily again shows she is unwilling to accept change by not allowing for the metal numbers or mailbox to be installed. Miss Emilys continual attitude of anonymity leaves her further and further removed from the town where she was once active.

The home environment, where Miss Emily Grierson lives, gives tangible examples of Miss Emilys inability to accept change. Her house is described as being surrounded by what seems like an industrial district of the day. Faulkner also states that the house had once been white. While meeting with a deputation group in her parlor, Miss Emily, once again shows her inability to accept change by keeping old heavy, leather covered, furniture, even after it is seen to be dusty and cracked from years of stagnant non-use. A sluggish ring of dust collects from the non-use of the furniture when sat upon, again re-enforcing the lack of use or ability to change. Perhaps, the most disturbing example of Miss Emilys unwillingness to accept change, through her environment is her sleeping with the corpse of her previous infatuation, for reasons previously discussed. It is proven that she continued to sleep with him by the last statements of the story: Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair (34). Faulkner has used this disturbing incidence in the story to provide permanence to Miss Emilys lack of accepting change through stagnancy in her environment.

Lastly, Miss Emilys physical description also equates to her lack of acceptance of change. This is displayed with the meeting she has with the deputation, where Faulkner describes Miss Emilys as wearing a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt (30) showing the symbolism of her hiding from time and change yet others around her still having the ability to hear the invisible watch ticking at the end of the gold chain (30). During this meeting Faulkner also states that Miss Emily is using an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head (30), demonstrating again that she does not accept change by purchasing a newer cane or at a basic level polishing her used cane. Miss Emilys continual lack of acceptance of changed is personified through her physical appearance.

Miss Emily Griersons behavior, including, but not limited to her interactions with the town, the environment she lives in, and her physical description show that she has a problem with acceptance of thongs around her changing, and basically change itself. The fear of change, kainotophobia, and the sexual attraction to corpses, necrophilia, is two medical conditions Emily also has to deal with. Now that Miss Emily is dead she can truly be long submerged in motionless water (30).