Essay about The Illusion of Love in Faulkner’s A Rose for...

William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† takes the setting of an old shabby house, in which Emily poisons her lover to death. Though some people suggest the house should be a symbol for isolation, I believe the house, like the rose, is the emblem of love. Both of the two symbols are meant to be of promising connotation, but egoism takes happiness away from love. House is commonly referred to as another word for warm home and love. Since the house Emily lives in is the only property her father leaves her with, memories and love of his father must be sealed in the house. However, Emily’s house is not cozy or beautiful, but rather an â€Å"eyesore among eyesore† (Para.2), with â€Å"a smell of dust and disuse† (Para.4). What darkens the once well†¦show more content†¦When mentioning empty houses, a similar image comes to our mind: cage. He imprisons Emily. Thus, the father possesses Emily, for she knows nothing about the world, and has nothi ng to exchange with the world. Second, Homer’s love is insincere. He stays with Emily on Sunday afternoons (Chapter 3), but he is not a marrying man (It can be argued whether he is homosexual). Though aware that for a woman over 30, it is deadly to be unmarried, he is not willing to sacrifice for his ‘love’ (if there is any), and does not offer the commitment to avoid responsibility. Dating with Emily is only one of those games for him. Third, Emily falls into his father’s logic unconsciously. She may have wanted a happy family to devote her love and sacrifice to. The bleak reality breaks her dream. So under the control of the idea â€Å"if I cannot marry him, no one else can†, she takes away Homer’s life and locked him in a chamber—a cage, but smaller than his father’s. As we think again, we may find, marriage itself is a cord that ties the couple. So one way or another, Emily wants to be bound with Homer. Therefore, instead of sincerity and trust, the house is filled by artificial and self-centered love. However, this fake love is deceiving, poisonous and addictive like roses. Seen from the simile â€Å"angel in church windows†, we can see Emily needs love. Both her father and Homer satisfy her desire, so she rushes into their egoistic love with an egoistic idea. Love for herShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay649 Words   |  3 PagesLiterary Criticism of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily In William Faulkners A Rose for Emily, Emily becomes a minor legend during her lifetime. After her death, when her secret is revealed, hers becomes a story that no one can forget. A Rose for Emily is the story of the old maid who fell in love with a northerner, but resisted being jilted once too often. 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