Entry 77: Pressure from Parents

In Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily,” what conflicts existed between Emily and her father? How did the horsewhip fit into those conflicts? Why do you think their relationship ended up being the way it was? What similarities between your own relationship with your parents and the relationship between Miss Emily and her father do you see? If none, have you ever seen other people that have relationships with their parents like that?

• The conflict that existed between Emily and her father in the story "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner was concerned with marriage. Because Emily's family was aristocratic and has a high status, Emily's father did not believe that anyone was fit to marry his daughter. Therefore, he drove away any and all suitors and kept Emily unmarried for a very long time. However, this conflicted with Emily's desire to love and to be love, and it twisted and distorted Emily's character so that in the end, she became a murderer who kills without any regrets. Emily's relationship with her father was that of a love hate relationship: Emily loved her father for being her father, but she hated him for keeping her away from love.
• The horsewhip was mentioned in the story when the narrator described the painting of Emily and her father. Emily's father was holding the horsewhip, and it signifies that his father is keeping and driving away the suitors using the horsewhip, and protecting Emily but sheltering and keeping her behind him and away from society and away from reality.
• My relationship with my parents differs because I am allowed a greater freedom when talking about relationships. My parents don't care who I am with as long as I still do what I am supposes to do, and in this case, it is referring to academics.