Desire in A Rose For Emily Essay

Many have desired something or someone to an unfathomable extent. They will do all they can to attain it, even if it entails heartbreaking consequences or truths to be faced. They can be so determined that it literally can drive them insane. Many times these situations are the very pit of destruction bodily, spiritually, and psychologically. Some wonder why anyone would think it was of worth. Yet it seems to be of such importance, comfort, and desire that they are willing to accept what will follow no matter what may come just as Miss Emily Grieson had.

In William Faulkners A Rose for Emily the narration is by what seems a town resident. The ending is the beginning of this story. We know this because Miss Emily Grieson is the main character of the story and had already passed away. In the first portion of A Rose for Emily her funeral is being conducted. As we read further through the narrator begins to speak of when Emily was alive. The narrator gives us selective information about Emily. She has roots in a wealthy and well respected family name. The narrator goes on to say in so many words Emily could have begun falling mentally ill after her fathers passing. Each time anyone would come to her door requesting the body of her father she would tell them her father is alive she doesnt know what they are speaking of. Especially when she had to be persuaded to bury her father by force of law before she finally gave in and allowed it. She was very ill for quite some time later. She even cut her hair to be like a little girl again so it seemed. The town felt a burden and responsibility to care for her.

When Emilys father passed away he left her with only a house and a servant, Tobe. Emily seemed to not have any family. Most were spoken of as ex-communicated it appeared. The townsfolk would whisper things about Emily in sorrow and compassion. And the reader is drawn to have empathy toward Emily with a Poor Emily scenario. Emily was alone and seeming to be the only one of Grieson blood left. During this time Emily goes to the druggist to purchase Arsenic. The druggist labels it for rats (Faulkner 360). The townsfolk assumed she would end her personal torture and kill herself. But there was a laborer named Homer who caught Emilys attention. Emily fell madly in love with Homer and wanted him to marry her. She was deeply hurt she learned he liked the company of men and that he was not the marrying type (Faulkner 361). Emily was more than ever determined to have Homer for her own. It did not matter how. She would have him. She had her heart set on it. Because of the actions between the two everyone had assumed Homer and Emily were to be wed. She later goes to buy a mans toilet seat in silver with the initial H.B. on it. Emily also purchased a full mans outfit, including a nightgown. One night Homer returned after a leave of absence and went to see Emily. Tobe let him in the house and it says neither Homer nor Emily left the house for years. We are left hanging here wondering what happened to Homer. From this point on we dont hear of him anymore. We start to wonder what happened to him.

We learn Emily seals the upstairs off which leads us to believe she is hiding something or someone up there.

Emily does not go out much but she starts to have china painting classes in the lower level of her home. She teaches children for a few years before finally the last time she closed her doors to not be opened again until her death. It would seem that she took on the painting classes to pay taxes but it most assuredly could have been as well to fill a void; Most likely the void that she would never have the life or children like she wanted with Homer. She surrounded herself with children for years teaching those classes possibly to fill that void.

Later Emily passes away and they find a mans skeleton lying in a bed in a closed up room that was draped with bridal furnishings. The rotten corpse lay beneath the nightgown that Emily had purchased years before and the silver seat was not far and the outfit with tie and shoes. When they looked closely at the pillow next to the man there was an indention of a head and a grey hair. We would come to the conclusion Emily decided to kill Homer. Homer didnt want Emily in life so she thought in death she could keep him.

I think its safe to say Emily had gone crazy or was mentally ill and so created a fantasy that they would be married. She so badly desired this that she was willing to do whatever it took. It drove her to insanity. When Emilys father was alive she had no opportunity to grow in companionship with another male. Every chance was blown. Emilys father would run them off because he felt that no man was good enough for her. She was so lonely when her father passed that even though what she had done to Homer was wrong; it brought her comfort. The comfort was of deep dark emotions. I think symbolically Homer was Emilys rose. As passionate as she loved him; he still was a thorn to her heart. Emily was a victim of her own tragedy she created through her desire to have what she wanted no matter what the consequences were. She grew so obsessed it totally took possession and then Emily fell into her own pit of desolation.