skills building eng 102

Bloom's Literature social class in A Rose for Emily

"A Rose for Emily" highlights the ways in which human beings function in socially stratified communities, commenting on the social mores that class depends upon as well as the psychological and sociological consequences such hierarchies inspire. Though many highlight the individual psychological dementia of Miss Emily as the generative force behind Faulkner's dismal ending, failure to consider the social implications of this ending leads only to a very flat understanding of the tale. The plural narrator establishes Miss Emily at the outset of the tale to be a figure of social esteem within the community of Jefferson. Indeed, in the first line, the narrator refers to the late Miss Emily as a "fallen monument"—a term that well describes the role that she fulfilled in this stratified society. Yet Faulkner does not just rest in establishing the different social classes that exist in Jefferson; he also makes artful commentary on the ways that such societal standards come into play through the hopes and feelings that inhabitants of a given community might have toward one another.

Miss Emily is one of the last holdouts of a gentrified society—and the narrator constantly remarks upon this fact through his characterizations of her. Upon Miss Emily's entrance into a room, men rise. The town leaders hold special tax meetings in order to discuss Miss Emily's unique case, and, ultimately, make an exception to customarily rigid tax laws for the sake of Miss Emily's honor. Honorable men of the town prowl about like burglars outside of her house, sprinkling lime rather than risking the embarrassment of having to suggest to Miss Emily that her property stinks. It is clear that Miss Emily holds a special standard in the town of Jefferson. Yet what responses does this situation invoke?

Social class comes into play frequently in the reactions that Miss Emily's misfortunes inspire in the community. As Miss Emily continues to age and does not settle down with a husband in her early adult life, the townsfolk express a general feeling of vindication; while they are not exactly happy, they are comforted in their belief that Miss Emily and her family had tried to hold themselves too far above the average man. One can imagine that, had Miss Emily been a poverty- stricken unfortunate when her father died, and had since remained unmarried, the town's general reaction to her situation might have included more empathetic responses.

As the narrative progresses, the townspeople come to regard Miss Emily with a seemingly deeper pity, and though they worry over her, they seem resigned to Miss Emily's fate as a lonely, unmarried woman. It may be a shock, for the reader to comprehend that when Miss Emily does seem to find happiness in her relationship with Homer Barron, the class differences between the two incite even more gossip among the townspeople. Because of the place that Miss Emily's family once held in the socially divided society, she seems forever relegated to the outskirts of that community, and purposefully excluded from the general society of her fellow townspeople.

Another aspect that one must consider when thinking about social class in this tale is that of the context in which Faulkner was writing. Faulkner comments on the ideals of a deeply stratified southern society throughout the tale, and points the reader to the potentially negative effects this degree of stratification inspires. The close of the tale reveals Miss Emily's necrophilia, and, at the same time, points an accusing finger at the townspeople for committing the same metaphorical crime. Unable to live in the present moment, the town, like Miss Emily, continually dallies with a past that is long over but still haunts the communal mind-set. Miss Emily's family dates back to a prior generation of community members who upheld much different standards about power structures in society—a generation well versed in the expectations of antebellum America. The community members of Jefferson County who remain fascinated with Miss Emily are also transfixed by an image of a society divided. Jefferson County may have long ago abolished slavery, but the habits and mentality that such a divisive practice instilled in its inhabitants remain very well entrenched.

To attempt to understand "A Rose for Emily" without accounting for the varied and significant ways in which social matters influence the text is to take an overly simplistic approach to the work. In this tale, Faulkner makes some not-so- subtle comments on the dangerously pervasive ways in which social roles can divide communities. Exploring representations of social standards in Jefferson County helps us to understand better Miss Emily's character, the reasons behind her questionable actions, and the responses that these events provoke.

Copyright © 2023 Infobase Learning. All Rights Reserved.