The Elements of Fiction

"A Rose For Emily" by William Falkner

Theme

A bud and a rose that died before it could ever fully bloom sit in the shadow of a number of beautifully blooming pink roses. This photo captures the theme of "A Rose for Emily" by depicting the expectations that the beautiful roses create and those that were never fulfilled by the dead rose and could be achieved by the bud. The rose bud shows promise and an idea of what it potentially could be. The dead rose never blossomed into its full beauty because it wasnt able to fully grow, similar to Emily. She had a dream of marrying Home, which was never fulfilled. Emily clung to that dream and died with it, unable to show her full potential and beauty. She murdered her love and locked him in the house with her, unwilling to allow her dream to die. The theme of Falkner's story is clearly death. Its also a figurative death of hopes and dreams.