Literary Analysis On “A Rose For Emily“

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“A Rose for Emily”: Battle of the Sexes
In his short story “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner relates to the reader the life of Emily Grierson, a remnant of the past. The narrator of the story relates the mystery and intrigue that surrounds the events of Miss Emily’s life. As her story unfolds, Faulkner depicts the thoughts that the townspeople have about her and her actions. It is quickly evident that the author makes distinctions between the sexes in this story. As the townspeople interact with and react to Miss Emily, a clear characterization of the males and females emerges. Faulkner portrays the men in the story as admirable, respectful, polite, and well mannered and portrays the women as nosey, interfering, unkind, gullible, and gossipy.
Faulkner’s treatment of the male in “A Rose for Emily” is quite complimentary. From the very beginning of the story the male is presented as admirable. In the first sentence of the story, Faulkner writes that the men go to the funeral “out of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (87). They attend this funeral for honorable reasons. Obviously, they have a great respect for Miss Emily’s family and felt that they should pay their respects upon her death. The men also demonstrate this respect when they handle the situation with Miss Emily’s taxes. They expect her to pay the taxes, but they are very patient and respectful in their dealings with her on this manner. When they mail a tax notice and receive no reply, they mail a formal letter. When this fails, the mayor writes “offering to call or to send his car for her”(88). This surely is not customary but the men give Miss Emily nothing but respect.
In addition to very respectful, the men of the town are always polite and well mannered when dealing with Miss Emily. When the townspeople become concerned about the smell around Miss Emily’s house, complaints come from both males and females alike. The males’...