Similarly, Emily imitates her father’s atmosphere by living with a corpse. Grierson was a gloomy character who did little to improve Emily’s life. Emily had a controlling father and she also shows the same tendencies by restraining Homer. These developments are also a continuation of the plot with Emily’s father. The fact that Emily has stayed with the corpse for quite a long time underlines the plot with the gloomy nature of the main character. Even though the gothic corpse is an incredible placement for the reader, the author does not stop here and he demonstrates how the main character not only poisoned her suitor but also retained his decaying body. Furthermore, corpse creates an atmosphere of fear and disbelief. The decayed corpse is a hallmark of the story because it creates a form of prevailing drama that develops the plot to unprecedented heights. Emily is the epitome of gloom in the story as she lacks the feel of a normal human being. Without these mysteries, the story lacks its imposing gloomy atmosphere. For instance, all other plot elements revolve around Emily’s mysteries. The gothic element of Emily’s mysterious life is crucial to the story’s plot. While these mysterious events are unfolding, the audience can see Emily as a mysterious and shadowy figure staring through the window. The story describes in sordid details the strong smell that emanates from the direction of Emily’s house. Some of these elements include the stark contrast of Emily’s life about what is considered a normal social life. For instance, there is an element of horror that is closely connected to Emily’s house. Eventually, the plot of this story unfolds similarly to that of a horror film. The mysterious secret horrors that are connected to Emily are also another gothic element that stretches Faulkner’s plot.
The gothic placements of both the decrepit house and later the decaying corpse create an eerie atmosphere, which is continued from the beginning to the end of the story. Emily’s abandonment contributes to the plot’s climax when she is later living in the same house with a corpse. The theme of desertion also takes shape when Emily realizes that Homer, the man she loved, would soon desert her too. Emily had been left alone by his father, who had contributed to her loneliness by chasing off the men who had sought her hand in marriage. The abandonment theme that surrounds the house also applies to Emily and her life. The readers are immediately intimated to the gloom, solitude, and decay surrounding the main character.Įven the interior of the house is not different from the exterior as it features paintings that are covered in dust and leather that is cracking due to old age and lack of maintenance. The element of an imposing decrepit house is further supported by the author’s claim that there has not been any visitor in Emily’s house for a long time. This description paints the picture of a haunted house whose lack of maintenance accentuates a ghoulish unsightly establishment.
The house is described as a square frame with a faded exterior. When the story begins, the readers are introduced to the dominant gothic element in the form of Emily’s dilapidated house.
All these gothic elements contribute to the plot’s development by creating a certain kind of atmosphere. In this story, Faulkner employs several gothic elements including the decayed corpse, the imposing decrepit house, and the secret horrors that are subject to Emily’s suspicious house. Using gothic elements, the author presents a story about a decaying social structure and the great extent of human-perpetrated horrors. The story unfolds when Emily finds out that Homer is not ready to marry and decides to do all she can to keep her suitor from leaving her. Due to the ensuing loneliness, Emily looks for a suitor and finds one in Baron Homer. In a “Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner presents the story of an aristocrat who dies thereby bequeathing his home to his daughter, Emily. Writers often deploy gothic elements in a bid to reveal popular themes and motifs such as hidden truths, death, complicated love, eroticism, and creepy characters among others. Gothic elements in any literary work represent the intricate literature that specifically deals with the mysterious, unusual, and supernatural.