A Rose For Emily Symbolism Essay

Symbolism in literature is using an object to portray a different, deeper meaning in a story. Symbols represent ideas or qualities that the author has schemed into their story that has meaning. It is up to the reader to interpret the meaning of the symbols and their significance to the story. William Faulkner wrote, “A Rose for Emily,” which was published April 30, 1930. He used a great deal of symbolism in this story. Faulkner’s use of symbolism captivated the reader until the shocking end of the story. There are several different symbolic subjects in this story such as the Griersons house, Emily herself, dust, a rose and Miss Emily’s hair. In many different ways, symbolism has a very deep and essential insight to the story of “A Rose for Emily.”
First of all, the Grierson house, like Emily herself is the only remaining symbol of a dying world of the old south. The house is described as “a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies.” (308) The Grierson house was built

Emily’s behavior and isolated lifestyle does not allow the people of Jefferson to get close to her. The only person that did get close enough to Miss Emily died at her hand, which put blood on her hand. Blood that runs red like the petal of roses. Roses have a very strong aroma and sometimes are used by funeral homes to cover up the smell of decaying bodies. Another way the word rose was used is that the room or tomb that Homer laid in was decorated in a rose color scheme. The room is described as “upon the valance curtains of faded rose color, upon the rose-shaded lights.” (315) Perhaps the people of the town of Jefferson were looking through rose-colored glasses as they were oblivious to what was happening around them in Miss Emily’s life and in her