There are many essential themes that occur throughout " A Rose for Emily", a short story by William Faulkner. Such as, control, loneliness, obsessed behavior , and ignorance. Many of the characters in Faulkner's story exhibit at least one of these themes during the story. The story is set in the rural south at the end of the 1800's. Emily Grierson, the main character in this story has an isolated and lonely childhood. This sets the tone for the rest of her life. .
Early in the tale, Emily's father shows a great deal of control towards his daughter. When young men came to court Emily, her father would stand in the doorway with his horse whip. His forceful presence would be enough to prevent the suitor from getting close to Emily. By doing this to her, her father obviously not only controlled her life, but makes her what she has become later in the story. In turn, Emily learns to control the people around her. For instance, when she refuses to pay her taxes and adhere to the rules of the town. "On the first of the year they mailed her a tax notice. February came and there was no reply. They wrote her a formal letter asking her to call the sheriff's office at her convenience. A week later the mayor wrote her himself, offering to call or to send his car for her, and received in reply a note on paper of an archaic shape, in a then, .
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flowing calligraphy in faded ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax .
notice was also enclosed, without comment" ( Faulkner, 144). Like her father, Emily .
possesses a stubborn outlook towards life and refuses to change. She was convinced that she didn't have to pay taxes because before the Civil War the South didn't have to pay taxes and since her father made a generous contribution to the town, she felt that the gift was still good. Also, when she goes to purchase the rat poison and the pharmacist inquires repeatedly why she wants it, Emily stubbornly looks him right in the eye and refuses to answer.
