Emily's Loneliness and the Symbolism of Hair in "A Rose for Emily"
Emily is the lead character in William Faulkner's short story A Rose for Emily. Faulkner discusses various themes in the novel, with the subject of death and the concept of transition versus tradition being the main themes. However, one of the most noteworthy aspects of the plot is the strand of hair that has been used to represent her loneliness after the death of her boyfriend.
Emily's Desperate Love for Homer Barron
Emily was in love with Homer Barron, but her odds of marrying him were dwindling as the years passed. Previously, several suitors had attempted to woo her, but they had all been refused by her father. As her hair turns gray, she opts to murder Homer – by poisoning him – and then hides his corpse in an upstairs room. However, after her death, the people find a strand of hair on her pillow, which can be interpreted as a symbol of love lost (since it was detached from the other hairs just like Barron was detached from her life after his death) and the loneliness one might find himself/herself in after doing some things – like killing others – while pursuing happiness. Faulkner notes that after they entered her house, they saw an indentation of a head on the second pillow on her bed (Faulkner, 9), which is a sign that she led a lonely life and, hence, the imagination that she was spending her nights with Barron, thus, the essence of the head indentation on the pillow. The people picked a long strand of iron-gray hair on the indentation (Faulkner, 9), which she could have been using as the sign of Barron's presence – after his death - in her life. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the strand of hair was a symbol of Emily's remembrance of Barron, her lover.
The Symbolism of the Strand of Hair
It is, hence, evident that Faulkner has been successful in not only illustrating some of the themes in the story but also using objects to show some important aspects of Emily's life. For instance, the strand of hair has been used as a sign of illustrating her loneliness after Barron's death. The strand of hair also warns people to be cautious of what they do as they may end up ruining their lives whereas they might be thinking that they are pursuing happiness.
Work Cited
Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. Verlag F. Schöningh, 1930.
