Fear and Parricide in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” from Psychological Frame (Rama Khatri, Department of English)

  

Fear and Parricide in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” from Psychological Frame

 

 

 

 

                                                            

    

✍️ Rama Khatri

                                                                                                            Department of English

About the author

William Faulkner (1897–1962) was an American modernist writer is basically noted for his ‘Southern Consciousness’. He became famous for a series of novels which discover the historical legacy of American south, the deterioration of Southern aristocracy, full of its loaded and often tensely violent present, and uncertain future. Along with these functioning of human psychology is another dominant aspect of Faulkner’s writing. Faulkner won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 for his innovative narrative style and deep exploration of human experience.

 “A Rose for Emily” (1930) reflects many of Faulkner’s central concerns. Set in a small Southern town, the story shows the clash between the old South and the new South, a theme Faulkner knew well from growing up in a society changing after the Civil War. The character of Emily Grierson represents the decaying Southern aristocracy—isolated, proud, and unable to adapt—while the town represents modern society moving forward. This story revolves around three main characters: Rose, Her father Mr. Grierson and Homer Baron

 

Sketch of the characters

Emily: A mysterious character who changes from papa’s girl to introvert murderer at the story. When she was still young, she wanted to get married. Many boys used to turn towards her. But her father: Mr. Grierson denied her wish and chased the boys away. He died shortly after it. After father’s death, Emily wants a male character as the substitute of her father absence and gets connected to Homer Baron.

Homer Baron: Homer is described as big, dark, and loud, with a confident and sociable personality from North. He was working for road construction contract. He enjoys drinking with men at the Elks’ Club and is seen as free-spirited and unconventional, very different from the reserved Southern gentlemen of Jefferson. Although he openly courts Emily Grierson, it is said that he “was not a marrying man,” suggesting he avoids commitment.

 

Fear and Parricide

Fear is an individual’s unpleasant emotional state associated with possible objections to one’s action, inactions, circumstances or intention.  Fear of losing loved one is the greatest fear of human beings. Similarly, the victim of such fear commits many threating activities and sometimes criminal activities like Parricide unconsciously even though they are seen conscious. In the story Rose who was brought up by her father could not bear the death of her father.  Her fear of losing father, loneliness and longing of father figure created havoc in her life and lead Emily towards murdering Homer Baron.  The strain of hair next to corpse of Baron could be analyzed as her attempts of fulfilling her emotional desires to be with him even after his death. Her suppressed desire escort her in the direction of destruction.

After father’s death, Emily wants a male character as the substitute of her father absence and gets connected to Homer Baron. With the passage of time, she prepares everything for their marriage but, to her surprise Baron disappears from the town living her deserted after his road construction contract was over. At this time, Emily is seen in her mansion alone, introverted and emotionally deserted. “Human beings are motivated even driven, by desires, fears, needs and conflicts of which they are unaware- that is unconscious” (34) Emily’s desire to be attached to Homer like her father. But she fears of loosing Homer. That’s why she plots conflicts on her mind, takes fearful decision and kills Homer secretly to be with him forever in her life. The pattern of psychological behavior is reveled in the character of Emily. Fear of intimacy with other is usually a product of fear of intimacy with oneself.  This psychological problem is so pervasive in this story that father-daughter relationship and Homer- Emily relationship suffer due to fear of abandonment. 

 

Demise of Emily’s father emotionally hurts and destroys her. Seeking its compensation, she gets connected to Homer but when he also betrays her, she is driven by negative psychological force. This is just what we see Emily’s changed attitude toward Homer. For Emily fear of intimacy is related to low self-esteem. If Emily was emotionally secure with her father, she wouldn’t have to impress Homer. She sees Homer as her father’s replacement. Miss Emily does not literally commit parricide, but Faulkner uses the idea symbolically. Hence, Homer Barron can be seen as a father-figure substitute for Emily.  She was unable to face another loss so Emily kills Homer to prevent him from leaving her.

 

Works cited

Freud Sigmund. “The ‘Uncanny”. Global Literary Theory. ED. Richard J. Lane. NY: Rutledge, 2013

Pope Rob. The English Studies Book. Ed. London: Routledge, 1999.2001