Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/91160

JaLCDOI : 10.14943/jfhhs.19.23

This article explores the overlooked racial complexities in William Faulknerʼs prominent short story “A Rose for Emily” (1930) through a close examination of the protagonist Emilyʼs characterization. While Emilyʼs racial identity has been widely assumed by scholars to be White, evidence from Faulknerʼs writing suggests he subtly depicted Emily as a figure navigating fluid racial boundaries. Faulknerʼs precise description of Emilyʼs “pepper-and-salt iron-gray” hair suggests concealed racial mixing, as hair color symbolizes inherited identity across his works. The strategic juxtaposition of Emilyʼs confined existence parallels with Black townspeople and implies shared restrictions under racial hierarchy. Interweaving motifs of unpaid debts metaphorically links Emily to Faulknerʼs broader exploration of obligations between races. Her profound bond with the Black servant Tobe, including angelic imagery and alternating visibility, intimates deeper connections beyond Black and White. These textual clues subtly encode Emilyʼs uncertain mixed-race background and fluid identity between clearly defined boundaries. Situating “A Rose for Emily” within Faulknerʼs complex representation of race illustrates an enduring thematic preoccupation emerging in this early 1930 canonical work. Uncovering overlooked racial dimensions provides new insights that enrich interpretation and highlight Faulknerʼs nuanced, visionary approach to portraying racial ambiguity. The analysis sheds new light on both this seminal text and Faulknerʼs pioneering portrayal of identity in the charged context of Southern race relations.