<P> Control and its repercussions is a persistent theme throughout the story . Emily's father was an intimidating and manipulative figure, keeping her from experiencing life in her own terms . She was never able to grow, learn, live her life, start a family, and marry the one she truly loved . Even after Emily's father died, his presence and impact on his daughter was still apparent . Discussing Emily and her father, the townspeople said "We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back - flung front door .". Emily is portrayed as small and powerless, placed behind the overbearing frame of her father . She wears white, a symbol of innocence and purity . Emily falls victim to the ruling hand of her father and to her place in the society: she has to uphold the noblesse oblige to which she was born into . In this way, her father's influence remains after he has passed . This control leads to Emily's isolation, both externally and internally imposed . Emily is alone, yet always being watched by the townspeople; she is both apart from and a part of the community . Her position prevents her from ever finding happiness . </P> <P> The power of death is a consistent theme throughout the story . Emily herself is portrayed as a "skeleton" that is both "small and spare" which is representative of the fact that she emanates death . When it comes to death itself, Emily is in denial and most of that feeling has to do with her loneliness . After her father dies, she keeps his corpse for three days and refuses to admit that he is dead . The reader also sees this with the corpse of Homer Barron, except she is the one who inflicts death upon him . She poisons him and keeps him locked away in her room; she did not want to lose the only other person she had ever loved, so she made his stay permanent . These examples show that the power of death triumphs everything, including "poor Emily", herself . </P> <P> Floyd C. Watkins wrote about the structure of "A Rose for Emily" in "Modern Language Notes". Watkins claims that this is Faulkner's best story and is among the best American writers of this time period . Faulkner had to carefully dissect his sections, bringing importance to every aspect of Miss Emily's life, but Watkins sees this as a "structural problem" but later goes on to rave about the symmetry of this short story . Watkins enjoys this story in its entirety, and is impressed by Faulkner's ordering, as building suspense was an important aspect in the response . </P> <P> This critical response by John Skinner explores the interpretations of Faulkner's short story in detail while reviewing the importance of over analyzing a piece of literary work . William Faulkner published this story in the 1930s, Skinner had published his critical response in 1985 . More than 40 years has passed and people are still ignoring his claim; "A Rose for Emily" should not be interpreted any further . The characters and theme of this tale have been scrutinized by many . There have been numerous interpretations for what Miss Emily stands for; Skinner gives examples of scholars including S.W.M. Johnson "Emily represented a refusal to submit to, or even concede, to the inevitability of change". Whereas William Going pictures Emily as a rose, "the treasured memory of the confederate veterans". The point of view according to Skinner, is of immediate relevance to the story as the chief character, the narrator tells the chronology of the story . This narrator gives approximately "round figures" for the important events of the accounts . Yet the exact chronology is of little relevance to the overall importance of the story itself . John Skinner states that Faulkner should be taken literally, appreciate his formal subtlety in his works . </P>

William faulkner a rose for emily plot summary