Monday, November 16, 2009

A Rose for Emily

This is my first time using the story in class. My colleagues have used it before with success, but I've been afraid to.

Part of it is my own distaste for Faulkner. I read it in college and didn't particularly care for it. But, even after all these years, it has stuck with me. Especially those last couple paragraphs.

I wanted to try something new with my College Comp class, and I always saw this story in all of my college anthologies, so I thought what the heck.

It shocked them in a way I never expected. My first College Comp class had a great discussion on it. I lead them through it, but they commented and shared and analyzed. It was great. They were horrified and shocked and saddened. And even bemused (one reader thought that Emily bought Homer a monogrammed toilet seat as opposed to monogrammed toilet set).

One student in my second class just finished it ahead of most of the others and he couldn't help but exhale loudly and utter, "Whooaaaaa."

I think that's a fitting reaction to Faulkner's piece, a piece I have a new found respect for.

1 comment:

RyanW said...

I really like that story too. Have you read As I Lay Dying?