Comparing A Rose for Emily to Mental Treatment During the Time of the Story

In colonial times people with a mental illness were called lunatics, which is derived from the root word lunar. People used this description because they believed that the illness was caused by the full moon. At the turn of the 20th century, society's perception of the insane was still inaccurate. People were unfairly accused of having a mental illness, patients were treated inhumanely by society, and they were looked down upon by their fellow men. William Faulkner uses his characters in "A Rose for Emily" to address this growing problem in society.�

In the early 1900's there were no limitations to who could be considered mentally ill. The homeless, whores, and elderly were often put into mental facilities. It became habit to remove unwanted people from society by saying that they were crazy. Emily is also labeled crazy because she does not succumb to the town's conventional ways. She rebels by not getting married, not paying taxes, and refusing to socialize. The narrator's only explanation for these nonconformities is insanity. Labeling Emily justifies the town in ousting her from society. Faulkner reveals this injustice by making Emily socially unacceptable.

In the early 1900's doctors were experimenting with many different ways to cure mental patients. One particular treatment consisted of filling up a tub with either hot or cold water. The tub would be covered with canvas that would have a hole cut out for the patient's head. The patient would be left in the tub for hours or even days. This treatment was said to awaken the senses by creating a sense of terror and shock. Faulkner depicts this uncouth treatment when he describes Emily as looking, "bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue" (Faulkner131). This description questions the validity of the therapies that were being used.�

At the turn of the 20th century, the mentally ill were seen as burdens to society. "In a stream of scientific articles, newspaper editorials, and popular books, the mentally ill were described as a degenerate strain of humanity, �social wastage' that bred at alarming rates and burdened �normal' Americans with the great expense of paying for their upkeep" (Whitaker 42). Emily is also portrayed as a burden to her town. She received complaints about a bad smell coming from her house. She sets a bad example for the children in town by riding around with Homer Barron on Sundays. Emily also aggravates the city council by not paying her taxes. William purposely uses Emily to annoy the characters in the story to prove that mental patients were detested by society.�

During Faulkner's time, no one wanted to be portrayed as being cruel to the mental patients. Doctors made up numerous lies about the benefits of their treatments. They claimed that their patients were appreciative of any treatments they received. The characters in "A Rose for Emily" also portray a sense of sympathy for Emily. The first example is when Colonel Sartoris makes up a story to excuse Emily from paying her taxes. Another example arises when Emily's cousins seemed to overstay their welcome. The narrator states that, "we were all Miss Emily's allies to help circumvent the cousins" (Faulkner 135). The town believes that they are watching out for Emily. Faulkner shows the contrast between the way society believed they were assisting the mentally ill compared to the way that they were actually affecting them.�

"A Rose for Emily" addresses the need for more education on mental illnesses. Faulkner reflects this by showing how the mentally ill were treated and perceived by society. He uses Emily to demonstrate what can happen if better care is not provided for the mentally ill. The point that Faulkner makes can best be described with a statement made by George Washington Goethal: "Knowledge of our duties is the most essential part of the philosophy of life. If you escape duty you avoid action. The world demands results."

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily". E Fictions. Ed. Joseph Trimmer, C. Wade Jennings, Annette Patterson. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2002.

Whitaker, Robert. Mad in America. New Baskerville: Perseus Publishing, 2002.