A Rose For Emily

A Rose For Emily The Factors that Form the Character Emily Grierson The characters in a work of literature are not only formed by their characteristics, but also by the story. There are many factors in a story which shape the characters. These may include the setting, mood, and theme. In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”, the conflict between past and present, chronological order and generations, her physical appearance and the grotesque mood …

…not to keep a dead body in her house, but to keep her father in her life. Miss Emily was not a morbid person. But, to the townspeople who did not understand her life, she was. Although the reader may view Emily in a negative way, “Faulkner’s overall design leads [the reader’s] judgement to work greatly in Emily’s favor, highlighting the virtues of courage, honor, and endurance in her life story” (Strandberg, 1001).