Sexism, Racism, and Class in A Rose for Emily by William...

Sexism, Racism, and Class in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a story about the life of an old woman. The narrator reveals the main events of her life, such as the death of her father, the disappearance of her lover, and the events surrounding her death, and the thoughts of the townspeople on Emily and her life as heard from the gossipy people of the town. One theme -- or central idea -- of the story is how narrow-minded attitudes can cause others to withdraw. Emily is one of the people who withdraw because of narrow-mindedness. The attitudes regarding sexism, racism, and class depicted in A Rose for Emily are narrow-minded. First, the attitude of sexism is narrow-minded. When†¦show more content†¦Colonel Sartoris, the same man that remitted Emilys taxes, fathered the edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron (81). The edict only applies to Negro women, not white women. The idea that Negro women are lower than white women is clearly bigoted. Then, throughout the entire story Tobe is referred to simply as the Negro. The only person that ever calls him by his name is Emily. The implication is that Negroes lack individuality. This attitude is very narrow-minded. When Emily goes to the drug store to buy poison, the Negro delivery boy brings it out to her. The fact that nothing more is said about the boy except that he is Negro is another example of the idea Negroes lack individuality and are unimportant. These attitudes cause Tobe and other Negroes to withdraw somewhat. Lastly, the attitudes regarding class are narrow-minded. When Emily and Homer begin to court, the women of the town are sure nothing will materialize from it because Homer is a Northerner. Broadminded individuals can see that being Northern does not make him any less attractive to Emily. Another reason the women do not think anything will happen with Emily and Homer is he is a day laborer. He is not of the same social and economic standing Emily was born into. Clearly his occupation does not lessen his appeal to Emily, but the women are at first too narrow-minded to realize it. Emily and Homer began courting shortly after the deathShow MoreRelatedFeminism In A Rose For Emily1379 Words   |  6 Pagesbeing inferior to men, especially when it comes to literature. However, William Faulkner was of the belief that women were the foundation of the family, but also depicted women being as a lesser, more gullible, and small-minded person to the fellow man. Faulkner’s stories f ocus on the main themes and timeless moral issues of the time such as sexism, social class, and racism. ‘A Rose for Emily’ focuses on sexism and some class issues, showing comparisons between men and women. Women of the 19th century