Symbolism in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"
By the due date assigned, attach the rough draft of your essay as a Microsoft Word document to the Discussion Area.
Compose an essay of 750 words in which you offer your interpretation of a literary element (such as character, theme, imagery, or symbolism) in one of the assigned short stories.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must choose one of the stories below to work from for your Week 4 and Week 5 assignments in order to receive credit. Links to the stories can be found in my Week 4 Discussion pinned post.
Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"
Kincaid's "Girl"
O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
Updike's "A&P"
Walker's "Everyday Use"
Start by selecting one of the short stories assigned by your instructor. Brainstorm to identify the literary element that you would like to explore in the story. Then, develop a thesis that offers a specific interpretation of this element. If you have trouble coming up with a thesis, contact your instructor, who will help you. Do not do any outside research at this point. Use APA formatting and citations.
Tips for the Essay
Open your introduction with an engaging opener, such as a question, quote from the story, or interesting idea. Then, connect to the short story and mention the title and the author. End your introduction with a thesis statement that interprets a literary element of the story.
The body paragraphs should support your thesis. Present specific aspects of the short story that help to illustrate your points. Make sure to quote from the story and analyze specific lines that support your argument. Body paragraphs typically have at least two short quotations each as supporting evidence.
Include a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points and explains the significance of the thesis. Finish this paragraph with a strong and satisfying ending.
APA Reminder
Use APA style for formatting the essay and for source citations. Begin with a title page and use proper font and spacing. End with a separate references page. Refer to the Week 1 lecture on avoiding plagiarism for an APA essay template and additional resources.
Symbolism in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"
Name:
Institutional affiliation:
Course:
Date:
Introduction
“A Rose for Emily”, first published on 30th April 1930, is a fictional story by William Faulkner. This story revolves around an unmarried woman living in the Southern art of America. As soon as her father dies, the woman becomes romantically engaged with a Yankee man, something that attracts concerns and attention from people around her. From the start to the end of this intriguing story, Faulkner weaves the story brilliantly, using literary devices including imagery, symbolism, and themes. In the story, symbolism including use of illustrations such as bunch of rose, Emily’s house, and a ticking watch have played key role in developing meaning.
Miss Emily
Faulkner used Emily as a symbol, specifically as a representation of the Old south or “a fallen monument” at her death.
“..our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out