A Rose for the Narrator: An Analytic Essay about a Rose for Emily

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It is generally said that when reading something you shouldn’t put much thought into opinions, take no account to biases, and should only properly consider the facts. But in many stories this general view on reading has to be broken to fully understand the text. A Rose for Emily is a feminist like southern gothic text written by the author William Faulkner and told from the view of one of the townspeople, but one that represented the thought of the town as a whole. The view of the narrator is an important part of the story, as his views, thought not really picked up on the first reading are important and a very reliable source to messages that aren’t obviously stated but should be picked up, such as the main characters insanity. The narrator shows his views quite clearly, when he remarks on events like Emily committing suicide by saying “it would be the best thing” which gives you the feeling that the narrator isn’t exactly the best person (William Faulkner, 22). But on a repeat read you find out that these opinions had justification and meaning that would normally seem horrendous but actually made sense. The narrator is a great influence as the story progresses, but, as everything isn’t completely revealed, the influence may not fully hit its mark until a second read of the story. One of the main views that the narrator has is a plain hate for Emily. She is described as someone that you generally wouldn’t associate with quotes like “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue,” Showing that she doesn’t care at all about her body, and when describing her home said “It was another link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons,” showing that she didn’t care at all about what her living conditions were either and that she and her family were unjustifiably arrogant (20). But then the narrator says
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