Roses are Red, Emily is Blue, Her Father Died and She Went Cuckoo: A Novel Project on William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily

Extract

[...] Roses are Red, Emily is Blue, Her Father Died and She Went Cuckoo: A Novel Project on William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily Over the years, society has come to accept that in most cases, people are the products of their environments. For example, if one is brought up in an irresponsible environment, it is likely they will be irresponsible when they are older. However, when people are brought up in extreme environments, the consequences can be destructive. People can come to totally disregard socially accepted practices and morality can take a back seat to internal urges. [...]

[...] When her father dies, she keeps his body for a few days, implying that he still existed when in actuality it was his spirit that kept her hanging on to him. It was the spirit of her father that possessed her to become controlling and imprison her boyfriend. It was her boyfriend's spirit that she held onto for so many years. Faulkner examines various ethical, moral and societal questions in this short story. He comes to a few conclusions in doing so. [...]

[...] However, she didn't stop at murder, but bordered on necrophilia as she continued to sleep next to his dead body for all the years he remained in her household. She fulfilled her need for interpersonal interaction by treating his dead body like the boyfriend she could never have, but inadvertently took on the role of her father. One of the greatest issues that surfaces in this short story is that regarding the roles of the townspeople. They always almost intercede, but in the end she exacts authority over them. [...]