A subversion for Emily
By a tired college kid aspiring for more
William Faulkner's 1930 work "A Rose for Emily" is a narrative interestingly designed to recount the life and uncover the mysteries of Emily Grierson, an elderly woman in post-Civil War Mississippi, through suppositions made by the gossip-seeking townsfolk. Through the town's combined (and likely interpretative) accounts of the scarce interactions with Miss Emily, it is known that she originates from a family of affluence and reputation that, in her time, experienced financial loss. In addition to Miss Emily's misfortunes, following the death of her father, she becomes a middle-aged, unmarried pauper. And while at first glance, she appears only as the town's aloof and pitiable subject of hushed whispers, it is revealed, at the end of her life, that her impregnable inheritance holds more secrets than the townsfolk could begin to fathom. Conclusions may be drawn about the happenings of Miss Emily's life and of the motivations for her bizarre choices, but, ultimately, it all remains speculation. However, within this fact lie boundless possibilities for the truth Faulkner chooses to maintain undisclosed. A re-imagination of the original story provides an illuminating supplement to the original text since it examines the depth of Emily's genuine character, challenging the reliability of the original narrator and underscoring the dangers of superficial judgment.
