Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University
Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University
Bullock 24[Readers] may well be aware of its limitations and of its occasionally cruelconstraints, but they recognize that the los of cultural cohesion is a genuine loss,all the more so in a world suffering from alienation and atomization. WasFaulkner himself aware of this cultural cohesion? [...] Does it ever clearly surfacein Faulkner's work? Yes, it does. Let me offer a few obvious instances. Thenameless narrator of "A Rose for Emily* never says T thought this' or T believedthat.' Throughout the story he uses phrases such as "Our whole town went to herfuneral'; 'We had long thought*; *We were not pleased exactly, but vindicated'[...] I could continue, but surely it is evident that the man who tells the story ofMiss Emily is consciously speaking for the community, and his story is finallyabout what Miss Emily's life and death meant to the community. (Brooks 31-32)Brooks's position that Faulkner's ultimate goal was to show the impact of Miss Emily's'"life and death" on the community is different from my own, although the role of thecommunity in the story of Miss Emily's life is a significant one in both of ourinterpretations. Faulkner's self-proclaimed goal was never to paint broad, sweepingportraits of entire towns but to focus on the people with whom he found himselffascinated. When questioned about the possibility of symbolism in "A Rose for Emily,"Faulkner replied:That would only be incidental. Ithink that the writer is too busy trying to createflesh-and-blood people that will stand up and cast a shadow to have time to beconscious of all the symbolism that he may put into what he does or what peoplemay read into it. (Faulkner in the University 47)
Bullock 25Faulkner's response allows for all the different readings he may have laced throughouthis story, while also establishing a necessary distance between himself and his work,owning it,but not directing it.However, Brooks also effectively argues that itis Miss Emily's isolation from thecommunity that pushes her over into madness. The desire to live in community is part ofthe human condition and Faulkner is capitalizing on this desire by revealing potentialconsequences of such desires being squelched. Miss Emily is relegated to the borders ofher community, first due to the presence of her overbearing father and later due to herstatus as a spinster. Her community does not make room for her and she has not beentrained or encouraged to develop the tenacity to make a spot for herself. Brooks says:[...] Miss Emily's absolute defiance of what others think, and her insistence onmeeting life solely on her own terms, ignoring custom, tradition, and law, can endin a horrifying deformation of her own psyche. The community learns howhorrifying only after Miss Emily's death when the door of an upstairs bedroom isforced and the intruders discover what is left of the body of her lover of fortyyears before. A refusal to knuckle under to the forms and actions expected by thecommunity need not, of course, be disastrous. But complete isolation from thecommunity can lead to madness and murder. (40-41)However, as Brooks continues to say, such an example is not meant merely to offer aclinical analysis of Miss Emily's mental health but to connect Miss Emily's life with hercommunity's complex reactions to her resulting in a wt parable"-like story reflective of theSouthern condition (40-41). This purpose aligns with my suggestion that Faulkner is
- 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 and 18: Bullock 15We had long thought of th
- Page 19 and 20: Bullock 17but no longer considered
- Page 21 and 22: Bullock 19Miss Emily as idol, thus
- Page 23 and 24: Bullock 21The art metaphor of Miss
- Page 25: Bullock 23Community and Religion in
- 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
Bullock 25Faulkner's response allows for all the different readings he may have laced throughouthis story, while also establishing a necessary dist<strong>an</strong>ce between himself <strong>an</strong>d his work,owning it,but not directing it.However, Brooks also effectively argues that itis Miss Emily's isolation from thecommunity that pushes her over into madness. The desire to live in community is part ofthe hum<strong>an</strong> condition <strong>an</strong>d Faulkner is capitalizing on this desire by revealing potentialconsequences of such desires being squelched. Miss Emily is relegated to the borders ofher community, first due to the presence of her overbearing father <strong>an</strong>d later due to herstatus <strong>as</strong> a spinster. Her community does not make room for her <strong>an</strong>d she h<strong>as</strong> not beentrained or encouraged to develop the tenacity to make a spot for herself. Brooks says:[...] Miss Emily's absolute defi<strong>an</strong>ce of what others think, <strong>an</strong>d her insistence onmeeting life solely on her own terms, ignoring custom, tradition, <strong>an</strong>d law, c<strong>an</strong> endin a horrifying deformation of her own psyche. The community learns howhorrifying only after Miss Emily's death when the door of <strong>an</strong> upstairs bedroom isforced <strong>an</strong>d the intruders discover what is left of the body of her lover of fortyyears before. A refusal to knuckle under to the forms <strong>an</strong>d actions expected by thecommunity need not, of course, be dis<strong>as</strong>trous. But complete isolation from thecommunity c<strong>an</strong> lead to madness <strong>an</strong>d murder. (40-41)However, <strong>as</strong> Brooks continues to say, such <strong>an</strong> example is not me<strong>an</strong>t merely to offer aclinical <strong>an</strong>alysis of Miss Emily's mental health but to connect Miss Emily's life with hercommunity's complex reactions to her resulting in a wt parable"-like story reflective of theSouthern condition (40-41). This purpose aligns with my suggestion that Faulkner is
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