Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University

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Bullock 16father, illustrates both physically and metaphorically the complete negation of MissEmily's sexuality and independence.Diane Roberts elaborates on Railey's idea when she characterizes the SouthernBelle:The Southern Belle, heiress of the Confederate Woman, survived the Civil Warand Reconstruction and was carried on into the modern world like an icon heldbefore a ragged army. She is the heroine of the white South's most cherishedstory about itself: its designated work of art, bearer of its ideals. The body of theBelle was inscribed with the integrity and glamour of the South itself. (102)By the end of the story. Miss Emily is no longer viewed as the fresh and glowingSouthern Belle, but has instead morphed into another minimized figure in Southernsociety, the spinster. However, the Belle image is foisted upon her in the tableau, and allof the expectations that came with it were hers to bear in her younger years. As she ages,Miss Emily bears the lifelong burden of the Belle and also upholds the added burden ofthe spinster. The spinster was expected to contribute positively to society, demurelybearing her burden of solidarity and expectation of community service. But there is moreto analyze than the tableau itself; this ideology that drove Miss Emily's society isevidenced in her other artistic depictions as well.The first mention of art in the story is the description of the architecture of MissEmily's home: "It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decoratedwith cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of theseventies, set on what had once been our most select street" (73). The home is elaborate
Bullock 17but no longer considered to be in style and is, therefore, marginalized in the minds of thetownspeople, similar to the way in which they marginalize Miss Emily. Margie Burnssays, "Obviously, the old house is identified with Miss Emily (and perhaps withfemaleness in general), the phrases "heavily lightsome' and 'coquettish decay,' amongothers, anthropomorphize it, turning it into an old "eyesore' like Emily herself andsuggesting a threatening, veiled sexuality in both edifices" (187). Miss Emily's sexualityis threatening to the townspeople, as was all female sexuality, because, according to themale imagination, itprovided women with power over men and power exclusive of anymale influence. Her sexuality is revealed in subtle ways through each individual artisticdepiction and correlating suppression. The house, in symbolizing Miss Emily, speaks tothe girlhood never fully expressed in a sexual manner. Thus, the "coquettish" and"lightsome" charms associated with her youth will die along with her because they arenever realized in outlets that society considers appropriate. The correlation thetownspeople make between Miss Emily and her house aids in cementing their notion ofMiss Emily as the untainted maiden-lady.Faulkner continues to craft the townspeople'sdescriptions of Miss Emily in an intentional way that reveals more than they perhapsintend.Another art metaphor used to symbolize Miss Emily, one that reveals more thanintended, is that of the idol: "As they recrossed the lawn, a window that had been darkwas lighted and Miss Emily was in it, the light behind her, and her upright torsomotionless as that of an idol" (Faulkner 76). There are two significant layers to thisrepresentation, and both serve to entrench Miss Emily more deeply within her society'smasculine creation of her role. The first layer relates to why the men are at her house to
Page 2 and 3: Digitized by the Internet Archivein
Page 4 and 5: Bullock 2TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCT
Page 6 and 7: Bullock 4Iseek to establish my argu
Page 8 and 9: "Bullock 6wrote about the artists w
Page 10 and 11: Bullock 8As I Lay Dying and The Sou
Page 12 and 13: Bullock 10Another art metaphor Faul
Page 15 and 16: Bullock 13essence, both necessary s
Page 17: Bullock 15We had long thought of th
Page 21 and 22: Bullock 19Miss Emily as idol, thus
Page 23 and 24: Bullock 21The art metaphor of Miss
Page 25 and 26: Bullock 23Community and Religion in
Page 27 and 28: Bullock 25Faulkner's response allow
Page 29 and 30: Bullock 27setting. It is this preoc
Page 31 and 32: Bullock 29male-dominated system whi
Page 33 and 34: Bullock 31for Faulkner to communica
Page 35 and 36: Bullock 33skewed sexuality and misp
Page 37 and 38: Bullock 35from all walks of life, "
Page 39 and 40: Bullock 37townspeople, readers can
Page 41 and 42: Bullock 39one in which male dominan
Page 43 and 44: The Eternal Feminine, Paul CezanneB
Page 45 and 46: Bullock 43—. AsI Lav Dying . 1930

Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University

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