A Rose for Emily
A rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner, and it reveals a dark tale of Emily, the protagonist of the story. The story is placed in the 1930s in the South. In the short story, Emily's father was not able to find a suitable man to marry his daughter and thus Emily was forced to stay single into her thirties. After the death of her father, Emily meets Homer Barron, and even if he wanted to live her, Emily was not going to let him go away. In 1983, Faulkner's story was adapted into a film by Lyndon Chubbuck. The film emphasized on the southern gothic features which added traditional elements to the original story. A rose for Emily is seen as a tale that grounded on unavoidable fate. The two are tragedy stories and showcases how Emily struggles with the loss of her father and the rejection of Homer which ignites an intense emotional pain.
Similarities
The main characters of the story and the film are the same. One comparison that is manifested in the film and the story is that the two center on the relationship between two main characters. Emily Grierson and Homer Barron are the main characters in both the film and Faulkner's story. In the film, Emily's father keeps her away from seeing suitors, and he controlled her social life. Emily is kept in isolation until when his father dies. Emily then struggles with the loss of her father, and this drives her to kill Homer Barron. Emily keeps Homer in the house even after killing him. Emily thinks that through killing Homer, he will never leave her.
Both stories also deal with the problem of Emily to pay taxes. In the story, Colonel Sartoris claims that Emily will not pay taxes after the death of her father. This is because Emily's father had given the town huge amounts of money. According to the colonel, the act of Emily not paying tax was a way of repaying the debt. The author writes that "Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily's father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying. Only a man of Colonel Sartoris's generation could have invented it, and only a woman could have believed it" (Faulker, 1930). From the story, there were no many regulations. Also, women from the generation were seen to be inferior. When another generation ruled by Jefferson came into existence, Emily was sent a couple of tax notices. The board of Aldermen went to Miss Emily to discuss her the repayment of the taxes. She stubbornly responded that "I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city record and satisfy yourself" (Faulkner, 1930). Notably, the response signals the changing times in the women era. In the movie adaptation, huge scenes created are chronicled on the tax issues which reveal the conflict in the film. Her non-compliance with the law is a symbol of stubbornness.
In the both, the theme of male superiority is highly stressed. Women were seen to be inferior, and the society stereotypes work towards undermining the female gender. The death of her father was a sign of freedom and the fulfillment of meeting the man of her dreams. During the generation, it was not easy to find women in her thirties still single. Women were viewed to be of no worth and thus they were not able to make their own decisions. For example, Emily's father is not able to find a suitable suitor for his daughter.<\p>
Again, another similarity is evident in the tragedy of the storyline. Both are coined on the theme of tragedy. Emily develops romantic interests with Homer but ends up killing him as a way of keeping him close to her. He was a foreman for a road construction project. Emily undergoes great tragedy, and this is why she deserves a rose. Rose also I the story and the film are used to representing secrecy and a symbol of silence on the death of Homer.
Another similarity is portrayed from the similar themes that are evident from the story and the film. The two also explore the theme of death, isolation, and resistance to change. The film vividly portrays decaying societal norms. Emily Grierson is oppressed by the society. The traditions of the south which were frequently discriminatory against women are seen in both the film and the story. Emily's father and Homer die bringing out the theme of death. Emily remains to be in denial even after the death of her father. In the both, the power of death is a consistent theme. In the movie, the father dies and also in the story Homer and Emily's father also died. Emily also keeps the corpses of her father, and this brings out horror.
Emily poisons Homer and keeps him locked in the house. She lives in tragedy and refuses to accept that there is a way of living. The fact that Emily does not give away his father for burial is a sign of resistance to change. She also refuses to pay taxes when new administration rules the town. Faulkner writes "She told them that her father was not dead" (Faulkner, 1930). The death of the father vitally affects her, and this makes her failure to adapt to change. The town people say that the death made her "Sick for a long time. When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl" (Faulkner, 1930). Hence, Emily is unable to endure the pain, and he suffers for a long time.
Differences
One of the major differences noticed from the film and the story is the treatment of time. William Faulkner's story is not told chronologically, and thus the events of the storyline are not ordered systematically in time. On the other hand, the Lyndon Chubbuck's movie is chronological and follows a straightforward approach (Chubbuck, 1983). The film is narrated chronologically while the Faulkner's story keeps on moving forward and backwards in time. Therefore, the film is easy to understand and less demanding to the audience. However, Faulkner's story is hard to understand due to the ever-changing times. The difference in the approach has been essential in giving the general tone of the story and the movie. It also affects the reasoning and understanding that the audience develop. From the story, Faulkner encourages the audience to reason in the different years. The difference can also be deduced from the year the two were produced. Faulkner's story was published in 1930, and it is set in the city of Jefferson in the Yoknapatawpha County. On the other hand, Chubbuck's the film was produced in 1983, and it is an adaptation of Faulkner's story.
The movie emphasizes an environment of suspense and horror. On the other hand, the story denoted to be a psychologically complex portrait of the community and portraits the way the society has transformed due to changes in the generations. Thus, one of the main differences between the two is evident from the simplifying the chronology of the film and the complexity of the story. The aspect makes the movie to be more focused compared to the short story. The death brings horror especially when Emily opts to keep the body of the Homer in the house so that he does not leave her. Faulkner also portrays Emily as a "skeleton" that is both "small and spare" (Faulkner, 1930). This brings out a horrific theme, and it emanates from death. The film is gothic with dreadfulness. Emily falls in love with Homer, and when she realizes that Homer wants to leave her, she poisons her and keeps his body in the house.
Conclusion
The Chubbuck's film and Faulkner's story were produced at two different times. The film is an adaptation of Faulkner's story; a rose for Emily. Due to the adaptation, they both have got many similarities including similar characterization and themes. However, despite the film being the version of the short story, the two also evidence a number of differences. They were written at different time and differ in the chronological approach.
References
Chubbuck Lyndon. (1983). A Rose for Emily Full Movie. Retrieved on September 1, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM4SHvHjXZA
Faulkner William. (1930). A Rose for Emily. Library of America.
