Early in the tale, Emily’s father shows a great deal of control towards his daughter. When young men came to court Emily, her father would stand in the doorway with his horse whip. His forceful presence would be enough to prevent the suitor from getting close to Emily. By doing this to her, her father obviously not only controlled her life, but makes her what she has become later in the story. In turn, Emily learns to control the people around her. For instance, when she refuses to pay her taxes and adhere to the rules of the town. “On the first of the year they mailed her a tax notice. February came and there was no reply. They wrote her a formal letter asking her to call the sheriff’s office at her convenience. A week later the mayor wrote

notice was also enclosed, without comment” ( Faulkner, 144). Like her father, Emily

love that was below her high social class. It is almost as if she did this to rebel against or mock her father.

flowing calligraphy in faded ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax

Along with control, Emily’s father emitted signs of obsessive ness. He was obsessive with keeping his daughter to him self. Why would he do this? What normal father would not want his daughter to live a full life with friends, a husband, and children. It makes one wonder if Faulkner was hinting at sexual abuse, even though this was never

now. Emily brought the isolation and loneliness to herself. After her father died , she made no attempt to make friends with any of the townspeople. It’s as if the isolation and loneliness was planted in her soul as a young girl and she could never be one who derives pleasure from the company of others. Her loneliness obviously subsides when she meets Homer, a construction worker, who she accepts into her life. It must have been wonderful for her to have found Homer, she must have felt like a young girl in love. It is ironic that after her father chased all suitable young men away, that Emily would choose a man to

her himself, offering to call or to send his car for her, and received in reply a note on paper of an archaic shape, in a then,

love. Emily wanted desperately to love and to be loved, but was always betrayed. Ultimately she gets and keeps the man she loves, but at what price? She would rather live with a rotted corpse that to attempt to live in the real world. An injustice was done to Emily as a young girl. The control by her father, the loneliness she en

Some topics in this essay:
Miss Emily, Emily Grierson, Emily” Faulkner, War South, Pity Emily, William Faulkner, Homer Barron, , Rose Emily”, miss emily, pay taxes, didn’t pay taxes, figure life, didn’t pay, tax notice, emily’s father, rat poison, male figure, father emily, signs obsessive, male figure life,