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A Rose For Emily Essay

1206 Words5 Pages

An individual’s motivation often stems from their aspirations and their pursuit of something greater than themselves. A person’s vision of their future is moulded by their imagination and their idea of perfection. This utopia that a person strives towards often comes at the expense of reality. The detrimental effect imagination can have on a person’s reality is exemplified through the short story, “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner. This short story recites the tale of a sheltered woman who falls in love with a visiting worker, Homer Barron, and takes drastic measures to remain together when faced with the precariousness of their relationship. Emily Grierson’s desire to actualize her ideal future, caused her to murder Homer to avoid dealing with a petrifying future where she dies alone. The willingness to pursue her utopia was perpetuated by her delusions making her unable to accept the uncertainties accompanied with loving an unattainable man. Emily’s masterful imagination detaches her from the unpredictable world through the creation of a warped sense of reality, harsh expectations in a traditional society, and the instillment of false hope. An individual’s perception of the future dictates the extent they will go to actualize their desires. In a life filled with unexpected turns that threaten to suppress us with depression and dissatisfaction, it is essential that an individual has a source of escape. For the title character, her means of escape was her

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