'Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner, is about a girl named Emily. She is not very social, and some would even call her crazy. She has been isolated from the world for the majority of her life. Her father isolated her from the world. Even after his death, she continued to isolate herself. Due to the isolation, she has been broken down to the point of insanity. She committed murder and has kept the body hidden. Even after she committed the murder, she continued to have sexual relations with the corpse. The story shows us that isolation can cause people to break. Due to being isolated from the world, Emily began to go crazy and killed her lover.
Although people did not know the Griersons well, the Griersons thought of themselves as superior. They completely disassociated themselves from the rest of the town 'the Griersons held themselves a little too high' (170-171). This shows us how they thought of themselves as superior and isolated themselves. Mr. Grierson never believed that any man was good enough for Emily, causing Emily to live with her father until his death. The Griersons very rarely talked to anyone outside of their small circle.
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Emily was a lonely, isolated woman. She did not know how to act around people, and people did not know her. 'After her father's death, she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all' (170). This is another strong example of isolation. She rarely went out when her father was alive, and once he passed away, she went out even less. She had to convince herself it was ok for her father's body to be removed from the house. After years of isolation, she felt her father's body was her only lifeline. Even though her father is dead, she continues to isolate herself. After years of isolation, Emily's mental state deteriorates, causing her to murder Homer. After murdering Homer, she kept the body just as she wanted to keep her father's body after his death. Keeping Homer and having a sexual relationship with the corpse gave Emily the love she craved. Her father's years of isolation forced Emily to become the unstable woman she became. Both of these quotes support the theme of isolation and what it does to a person socially and mentally. Emily was unable to function in the real world while fearing abandonment. She only had her father until his death, and she was not going to let Homer leave her, so she murdered him. The first quote shows how the town views them and the second quote heavily supports the theme of isolation.
Emily's father isolated her, and after he passed away, she continued to isolate herself.
Her isolation from the world caused her to become a shell of a woman. Lonely, peculiar, and crazy is how the townspeople viewed her. The outcome of Emily's life is a perfect example of how isolation can cause someone to break. Although isolation caused Emily to become mentally ill, she could have helped herself. After the passing of her father, she could have sought help. Emily could have opened her heart and door to the townspeople, forming relationships. Instead, she continued to isolate herself.
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