Project Assignment
Project Assignment
In what ways might we say that William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” (1931) plays with
traditional gender categories, revealing the biases and limitations of traditional definitions
of gender?
Introduction:
William Faulkner’s most admired short story “A Rose for Emily” paints a clear picture
of gender inequality, patriarchy and religious oppression through Emily Grierson’s immorality
and her interactions with men, even if she is her father, be it a lover or a town man. Furthermore,
the hatred of the people of the city is a clear reflection of the strict belief of traditional gender
The people of Southern were very narrow-minded and religious. They arguing that men
were superior to women and that women could not survive individually without a male partner.
Due to the influence of puritan, marriage is necessary for a woman to survive socially and
Inequality prevails in all its forms in the form of racism, patriarchy, structural oppression
‘second’. In the 19th century, women were deprived of material benefits due to lack of property
rights, no right to vote, no choice of marriage or profession. They faced many social and
economic barriers due to their defined gender role. Women have always had to work against
grain to get equal rights for men. For their survival, women have to struggle against the social
barriers that push them towards their traditional gender roles under the pressure of patriarchal
notions of a male-dominated society. It strives for equality, mostly as Emily leads a woman to
alienation and loneliness. Highlights of this hesitation and loneliness can be clearly seen in the
story.
2
William Faulkner’s book, A Rose for Emily, is often a story with elements of feminism.
These elements are reflected in the patriarchal perceptions of the Southern people. Jefferson’s
people strongly believe in women’s oppression and gender differences. Jefferson’s patriarchal
townspeople believe in gender roles that both men and women should be limited to their
traditional roles. Men control power, authority and money while women are limited to
housework, motherhood and child rearing. Southern people are the true interpreters of the Latin
“woman is nothing but a womb” (Peter Berry). This injustice has been with Emily Grierson
all her life. Miss Emily is a good sprinter in the strong influence of masculinity. Gender
oppression is manifested through the domination of her father. Her father dominates her in all
the decisions of her life. As in the 19th century, women were not allowed to make decisions
So Emily’s father, being a practicing agent at Southern conventions, claimed that “none
of the young people were quite good enough for Miss Emily” (Faulkner). This excessive
protection of the daughter is in fact the subjugation of a woman in the hands of an authoritative
man in the person of the father. Under the guise of responsibility, it is the Father who enjoys
true power.
In "A Rose for Emily", Faulkner presents the South as an area of traditional and
completely in the shadow of a man because she is her father or husband, she has no words to say
After her father’s death, Emily is left alone in a masculine culture. The house was the
only property Mr. Grierson left for his daughter. At this point, Emily’s transition begins. From a
prime and suitable girl, Emily turns to a free and self-sufficient woman. Regardless of the
gender stereotypes of the townspeople, Emily emerges as a strong woman who makes bold
decisions against the principles of society and religion. She falls in love with Yankee Homer
Baron against her status. Emily Homer continues her relationship with Baron and pays little
attention to people’s reactions. Citizenship and inactivity were the expected characteristics of a
woman at the time, while the main character Emily’s behaviour went against the expectations of
the community. She rebels against her traditional gender role, which is limited to families. Her
An image of feminism:
Emily’s rejection of masculinity puts her in an endless struggle against patriarchy. His
first rebellion against structural oppression was his refusal to pay taxes. When the board of
elders goes, she behaves like an iron woman instead of singing and declares, “I have no taxes
in Jefferson. Tobe! Show these gentlemen out” (Faulkner). This bold attitude was unusual
for a woman in the South. She stands up for her right to vote and oppression. In patriarchy,
women are considered rude and underdeveloped so that they can participate in social
construction. As Aristotle puts it, “the female is female by virtue of a certain lack of
qualities”. But with masculine qualities, Emily disproves this philosophy. He continues his
struggle with the patriarchal ideology of the society. She wants to free herself from masculine
influence to achieve equal social and legal rights for protection. This is the true spirit of
femininity.
4
Emily plays a number of roles in establishing her identity. She wants to make a name for
herself. “Gender identity is socially constructed and can be challenged and transformed,”
states Virginia Woolf (Peter Berry). Change, identity building, and confrontation with
challenges are the three main elements of femininity that Faulkner has subtly crafted into the
main character’s personality. She leaves her past inactive and moves on to her new life with the
self-acquired identity. Society forces her to play her traditional role, but she feels pressured to do
so. This protest against social norms turns Emily into a tragic figure. Emily’s situation is
described by Simon de Beauvoir in his most influential work, The Second Sex (1949),
“Women have been defined by men and that if they attempt to break with this, the risk is
alienating them.”
A Rose for Emily is a symbolic representation of hatred and patriarchal beliefs, reflected
in the actions of the people of that time. On the contrary, she faces the harsh language of a male-
dominated society and breaks with the old, prejudiced and limited definition of traditional gender
character. She builds her own identity. In short, Faulkner portrays Emily as a feminist agent.
The first sentence of the play tells the whole story of the patriarchal mentality of the
southern people. Faulkner begins the story with Miss Emily’s funeral. Opening sentence reflects
the hatred of the people of the South. This hatred reflects the community’s attitude towards
Emily. Emily, on the other hand, is a symbol of courage that challenges men’s power, authority
and submission to women. This constant struggle between Emily and the patriarchal mentality
turns her into a tragic figure. Society finds Emily isolated and rehabilitated for violating her
Conclusion:
5
In short, it is Emily who wins the war. The last part of the story tells us about Emily’s
victory. When people find Homer’s body in a dusty and gloomy room, they symbolize his
“tomb.” This shows that the long-rooted traditions of the South are aging and will be
demolished. Furthermore, the change in her personality as well as her physical appearance with
short hair is a clear picture of her victory over gender inequality, gender differences and obvious