Response 9

I think the story, A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is very sad and can be scary as well. During the readings, we can see various gothic moments in the story. Emily had a very sad life since she was very young because her father was very controlling and he intentionally prevented Emily’s chances to find a husband in order to keep her under his control. It was very sad that Emily waited her whole life to get married and when she finally met somebody (Homer), he made her wait and wait. One example of a gothic moment is when Emily poisoned Homer. His body discomposed in an attic bedroom, which is very scary. Another gothic element in the story is the way Faulkner described the transformation of Emily after her father died. He said, “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue.” This shows that Emily was really affected after her father died, just as we would be if one of our family member dies. We can relate to this because it is not easy to face a death of somebody we love.