Essay On Miss Emily In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

Words: 931
Pages: 4

Which disease does Miss Emily have? In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner provides a short story about a woman named Miss Emily Grierson whose life is emotionally complicated and conflicted. Starting with the beginning of her childhood, Emily had a strong relationship with her father, considering being in the small town of Jefferson, he was all she had in her life. Instead of letting Emily pursue young suitors, her father sent them all away claiming “none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such.” (Mirrors & Windows 775) At the age of thirty, Miss Emily encountered a traumatic experience in her life- her father died. From that moment on the locals of the town are continuously snooping to find out what is wrong with Miss Emily, her house, and her odd behavior that progresses throughout the story. Critics claim that Miss Emily may have some type of mental disorder. Some claim it is attachment disorder while others argue that is it erotomania. Attachment Disorder is a broad term for a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming lasting relationships. They often …show more content…
For example, although Miss Emily and her father had a close relationship it was almost too close considering when he died, her behavior became erratic because she never had to form relationships with anyone other than him, lacking the ability to be affectionate towards others. She kept the body in the house for three days claiming he was not dead. She also became secluded to the local community never allowing anyone to enter the house except Tobe; the servant. After numerous attempts by the local officials requesting she pay her taxes, she deliberately ignored them all or sent the notices back unanswered, continuing to disobey them. Therefore, Miss Emily never learned how to coexist with the people of her community nor was she ever taught social graces which leads to the next