Philippine E-Journals

Psychoanalytical Interpretation of William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily: The Exposition of Unconscious Through Necrophilia

Aftab Ur Rahaman Zahin

 

Abstract:

This paper brings out the responsible defense mechanisms and psychoanalytical reasons behind one's necrophilia and shows the impact of capitalist patriarchal oppression on human psychology through studying William Faulkner's psychoanalytical story, "A Rose for Emily." Miss Emily, the upper-class unmarried woman, faces different sorts of psychological conflicts because of multiple active defense mechanisms in her psyche, an unresolved Electra complex, and long repression throughout her life, which led her to necrophilia. Her repression's transference freed her from reaction formation and displacement, but it resulted in her murdering her lover. Her psyche transforms into three types of necrophilia, resulting in two opposing personalities. Psychologically, a person with necrophilia is a victim of low self-esteem, an unresolved Oedipus complex, denial, displacement, repression, and constant reaction formation. It is qualitative research using the closed textual reading method. Different psychoanalytical theories are used as tools to achieve the objectives of the research. This research brings out the specific psychoanalytical reasons behind one's necrophilia and shows the harsh effect of capitalist patriarchal oppression on human psychology.