Elements Of Gothic Literature

Love is a powerful thing, but when the desire and attraction become too strong, or even obsessive, it can lead to powerful consequences. As seen in William Faulkner 's, A Rose for Emily, a woman from an aristocratic family suffers from an obsessive love combined with understated oppression. Throughout the short story, Faulkner applies key elements of gothic literature, like rundown buildings, powerful emotions, and death, therefore creating a twisted tale.

Throughout the tale, constant elements of gothic literature are reflected, especially in the atmosphere. In Faulkner’s story, the action takes place in a creepy old house in Jefferson, Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, belonging to the last living descendant of the Grierson family. As

Additionally, Faulkner’s story demonstrates gothic literature due to the death portrayed throughout. During various parts of the story, death and decay stand out. For example, death can is shown when Emily’s father dies when she is thirty years old. Even though she was isolated most of her life due to her father, the death of him affected her, both emotionally and mentally. This is stated in “After her father 's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all.” In addition, Emily developed a compulsively possessive and later deadly love over her sweetheart, Homer Barron. A man considered lower class to Emily who also had an attraction to men. This is demonstrated in “ "She will persuade him yet," because Homer himself had remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks ' Club – that he was not a marrying man.” The compulsive and powerful love can be shown later in the story when Emily poisons Homer with arsenic to prevent him from leaving her. The constant theme of death Faulkner reflects throughout the story is what displays gothic literature in this corrupt tale. Furthermore by applying death, the author is able to create an ominous atmosphere.

Various key elements can define the style of a story. Faulkner uses atmosphere, emotions, and death to reflect gothic literature in his story A Rose for Emily. These components can add to the feels of a story, in this case, adding horror and