They admire his manners, dress, and appearance, thinking of him as though he is royalty, "a gentleman from sole to crown" (Robinson 3). His wealth and status are what set him apart from the townspeople, who state that it makes "[them] wish that [they] were in his place" (Robinson 12); this envy is what alienates Richard from his community and all of the activities. In both pieces of literature, the authors use first person pleural narration to show the separation and isolation of the individuals from their communities.
The use of setting in both works is used to further demonstrate the theme of isolation. "A Rose for Emily" takes place in the small, southern community of Jefferson after the American Civil War. The south is commonly known for its class divisions within communities, as well as its views towards women at that time ("After the Civil War"). Emily's higher social class and wealth are of greater importance to her town at this time, she is looked at more intently and gossiped about more often than other members of the community, "when she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, [they] had said 'She will marry him.' Then [they] said, 'She will persuade him yet'" (Faulkner 118). This separation of the classes at the time was partly at fault for Emily's lifelong isolation. Robinson's "Richard Cory" also takes place in a small town, although the exact time and place are unknown. He is a very well known, wealthy man of high social class, and seems to be the only one of this class in the town. The community places him on a pedestal; they look at him from the pavement (Robinson 2) as though he is floating above them, out of their reach. The community's fear of his rejection is what causes his isolation, and ultimately his death. In both literary works, the authors use setting to demonstrate the social separations and alienation of the characters from their communities.
