Week two Question #4 & # 2

Considering the time period and well-documented constraints on and expectations of women, what do you make of Chopin’s portrayal of a woman’s presumably guilt-free indiscretion? What do you think Chopin was hoping to convey, thematically, regarding romantic love and/or sex, marriage, trust, self-awareness, female pleasure?
Chopin used both the female and male reference to passion and pleasure by ending the story in Alcee's letter home to his wife.Instead of ending the story with Callixta enjoying dinner with her family, unfazed by the fact that she jsust slept with another man, the author choose to end with the lovers letter to his wife. This aspect showed both parties were okay with what had happened. They both wanted to contuine their way of life. In the time period presented, it was not shocking that a man is able to have an unabridged love affair. The nonchalant attitude was present by both Callixta, a loving wife and mother, as well as her lover. Chopin was showing an equaility in feelings by both men and women, which was unheard of at the time. This story isn't just about a women wanting to have a phyiscal encounter. The story let the reader understand that women can feel just as men do. Women can want just phyiscal pleasure without an attacthment.

2. Discuss “Rose for Emily” in light of the title: What significance does the “rose” hold? Where in the text do you see a rose . . . or do you? Explain your observations and ideas.
Consider narration in “Rose for Emily” – you’re told the narrator is the “townspeople”, which means the “person” speaking is recounting not a highly personal take but a more generalized understanding of Miss Emily. Do you think this narrator is reliable? Do you think we “get” the exact truth about her character and actions taken by both Emily and other players (static/flat characters)? Why would this be important?

A rose is a symbol for romantic and everlasting love. In the story "A Rose for Emily," the significance of a rose is that Emily never recieves one. Her father keeps her from many suitors and when she finally finds someone she connects with she kills him to keep him from leaving her. Emily also does not want to part with the dead. When her father dies she did not want to burry him. She denied his death to keep him with her. Thus the dead are held close to her as a beautiful flower like a rose.

The narration of, "A Rose for Emily," is by the townspeople, which gives a very impersonal point of view on the character of Miss Emily. The reader never sees why she is so proud or her emotional ties in her relationships. We don't see if she is obsessive over Homer Barron, her lover. We saw no quarrel that caused her to but the arsenic. If the reader learned more about Miss Emily's personality, we could see if she was mentally ill or just vengeful. The understanding of Emily killing Mr. Barron is unknown to us. The key componat is the long gray hair strand left behind on a pillow next to her lover. Thus the reader assumes Emily is crazy, because she has laid beside a dead body for many years, a person she loved and obviously killed. Common sense assumes she is sick, but if we understood the realationships around her, we might justify the death.