Emily's Downward Spiral: An Analysis of "A Rose for Emily" In William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily", the main character of the story is Miss Emily Grierson. To analyze and examine his character, it is almost impossible not to be interested in the psychological aspect of it. Through the story of Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily", Miss Emily's behavior and character are revealed to be quite strange compared to any average character. A few days after dropping off Miss Emily's body, the people of Jefferson come to Grierson's house to open a private room upstairs, which has not been seen or entered for several years. Miss Emily kept this room closed to others for at least 40 years. When the door finally opens, the townspeople are in complete shock and disbelief at the sight right before their eyes and say, "For a moment we stood there staring at that deep, gaunt smile" (36). In an advanced state of decomposition, Homer Baron's body lies in his bed, and on the chair are his neatly folded suit and two mute shoes – clothes and items ready for an upcoming wedding. Audiences comment that the play is “frozen in time” (37). Next to her corpse is a pillow with an indentation in the shape of a head where there is a lock of Miss Emily's gray hair. Conclusion: Miss Emily had been living and sleeping with a corpse for many years. What is causing Miss Emily's bizarre behavior? Living, the community considers the Griersons a “hereditary obligation” to the town (32). Miss Emily lived in a once-posh neighborhood, located on what was once the fanciest street in the city. She comes from a very wealthy family in their small southern community. The townspeople always believed that Emily's family was middle of paper... a coping mechanism. The real theme of Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is about the pressures of society and how they can bring people down. Miss Emily lacks adaptive coping skills to help her cope with enormous stressors and for this reason, she is susceptible to the onset of mental illness. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. Quick reference to the DSM IV diagnostic criteria. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. McLeod, Saul. “Defense mechanisms”. - Simply psychology. NP, 2008. Web. December 9, 2013. Smith, Melinda, MA, and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. “Coping with Grief and Loss.” : Bereavement and bereavement support. Np, and Web. December 9, 2013. Smith, Nicole. “Analysis of the psychological character of Miss Emily in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” Myriad article. Np, December 6, 2011. Web. December 9. 2013.