SURNAME.

Name

Course

Professor’s name

Date

The Theme of Connection and Isolation in “A Rose for Emily”

William Faulkner’s 1930 story, “A Rose for Emily”, tells about the relationship between

Emily Grierson’s family and the town’s people. While the townspeople seem interested in

connecting with the family, the Griersons isolate and separate themselves with an attitude of

superiority. Regardless of the efforts that the town’s people make to form a kind of working

relationship with the family, the more the family keeps to the family. Throughout the story, the

themes of connection and isolation are presented as motifs that have agreed to co-exist. The

entire story revolves around the efforts of the town’s people to connect and form relations, while

the Griersons’ disposition serves to represent and maintain the contrasting motifs of isolation and

separation.

The refusal of Emily Grierson to pay taxes bill conveys the idea that she perceives herself

as separate and will never be part of the town and its community. This behavior is deemed as a

tradition that started in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris invented the story that the family had lent the

town some money, and as a token of gratitude, it would only be appropriate that they should be

exempted from paying taxes (Faulkner, 1). When the town’s management is taken over by new
 SURNAME. 2

leaders with modern ideas who express their dissatisfaction with the arrangement and demand

that she should pay, she says to them, “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it

to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves."(Faulkner,

1). By paying the taxes, it would mean that the Griersons accept themselves to be part of the

town, and are in support of its development. As such, the action of the town leaders to make her

pay the taxes could be deemed as an efforts grounded in the need to connect with the family

(Krtička, 9). However, even though Emily is from a modern and progressed time, she seems

committed to upholding the family tradition, which establishes the contrasting motif of isolation.

The theme of connection and isolation is also expressed through the conveyed marriage

ideals that are never realized in reality. The town’s people believes that the Griersons deemed

themselves a little too high, a reason why they separate themselves from the rest in order to

maintain the air of superiority. This is also the reason why the suitors are turned down: “None of

the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such”(Faulkner, 3). The only time

that connection with the family nearly happens is when Homer Barron is seen hanging around

with Emily, and the town’s talk becomes expectant of a wedding. However, the fact that he is

later found dead and decaying in the upper and sealed room of the Griersons only seems to

maintain the theme of separation and isolation which the family represents.

Finally, the overall concerns of the town’s people regarding the wellbeing of Emily is a

suggestion of their interest to connect with her, and the events of death occurring within the

Grierson’s family seems to maintain the motif of separation. When Emily’s father died, “all the

ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid” (Faulkner, 5). This was the

custom of the town’s people, which expresses the motif of togetherness. However, Emily replies
 SURNAME. 3

to them by saying that her father is not dead, which showcases that she is still holding on to the

family tradition where they isolate and separate themselves away from the society.

In conclusion, theme of connection and isolation seems to be reoccurring throughout the

story. The town’s people makes effort to connect with the family, but the Griersons only

expresses their disinterest, thus maintaining the motif of isolation and separation that the family

represents. The struggle between these two motifs continues to the end, where Emily has died,

and the town’s ladies attends the burial thus conveying the idea of togetherness which they

represents.
 SURNAME. 4

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. , “A Rose for Emily”. 1930

Krtička, Filip. "Telling Community in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily: A Case Study in

Narrative Technique." (2013).