'A Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner

In many respects, life is what we make it; people have the responsibility to mold and create their paths in life. By having a good understanding of yourself, helps you apprehend those around you better and it also amplifies efficacious relationships.

In the story “A Rose for Emily", it provides an unalterable, retrospective combat and illustrates how class-ism can bring upon separation. According to Karl Marx, classism is defined as beliefs that our value as human beings is directly related to the social class which we belong to. Classist attitudes can segregate people from one another and keep individuals from personal fulfillment or the means to survive.

Being in a particular high social class can cause people to invade your privacy if there is a failure to measure up to some standards. This is the reason why Emily kept the lid on her personal life and was ostracized in the small town she was born and raised in. Marxist viewpoint centered on the hierarchy between rich and poor and capitalism. From the perspective of the Marxist Theory, we see how Emily’s class later falls from the economic ladder.

 Emily used to be a part of one of the town's affluent and most prominent families. There is evidence to support in the second paragraph that she was up the social ladder. This story gives a very truculent mind frame of Emily being in the privileged class and considered an elitist. As the story progresses, there a bit of irony that reveals itself. Emily feared falling backward but yet showed an interest in Homer Barron, a laborer from the north and not someone who is aristocratic. The townspeople frowned upon Emily and her beau as a result of the barriers set up by social class. This gave them the impression that he is beneath her.

While Emily used her economic status to her advantage, she still tried desperately to retain her social rank. Could it be her unfulfilled expectations, struggles, regrets or was she preserving her public image to be still a part of her born socioeconomic class? William Faulkner shows how she overcomes some factors that gave her problems throughout her life and how she chooses to end things dramatically and surreptitiously.