Marxist theory applied to "A Rose for Emily"

The story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner is a re-telling of the life a member of the prestigious Grierson family led. Emily Grierson was a woman who came from great wealth and even with family history of madness they manage to endulge in the finner things in the life. The Griersons had the money, popularity, and a different point of view when it came to the way things were suppose to be in the world, they say themselves different from everyone else because they were richer. Even Emily's father had thought no man to be good enough for his daughter in result Emily never married and due to money and a family fued of inheritance, she was left alone in her big house with a mind thst was slowly going mad. Without much family, husband or kids, and even a person to call friend. Having read the Marxist theory; marxist may agree with me when I say there are definetly some examples of Classisim which makes a path for capitlistic ideologies like competion, which is one of the many capitalistic ideas explored in the story. However before this story is explained from a marxist point of view we must first understand what is a marxist theory? The Marxist theory states "For according to Marxist theory each of these ideologies foster a socioeconomic hierarchy that grants enormous wealth and power to a relitivly small amount of people at the top of the socioeconomic ladder, prevents a large number of people from escaping the poverty in which they are trapped at the bottom of the ladder, and keeps those on the middle rungs---if there are any midde rungs---at the financial mercy of such financial occurrences as increased taxes and the rising costs of health care, education, and housing." (Tyson, pg.55)

1. The oppressive socioeconomic ideologies that influence the main character Emily Grierson's behavior are classism and competition. Classism is characterized to be "...the belief the our value as human beings is directly related to the social class to which we belong: the higher our social class, the higher our natural, or inborn , superiority." (Tyson, pg.56). The story shows signs of classism when it gives a brief re-telling of Ms. Emily Grierson's family history. The story states "...remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Grierson's held themselves  little too high for what they really were, None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such." (Faulkner, pg. 254). Due to their class status in life the Grierson's believed they were different from everyone else so the behaved that way as if they were superior or even divine. The second socioeconomic ideology presented in the story was competitions, which is explained in the text to be " Capitalism believes that competition among individuals---competition for jobs, for pay raised, for customers, for loans for awards, and so forth---is the best way to promoat a strong society because competition ensures that the most capable, most intelligent people will rise to the top." (Tyson, pg.58). One example in the text that that displays signs of competition in the community was the total mind set that people had after Miss Emily's father died; it shows that their was a lot of competition going on, so after Miss Emily's main source of income was gone everyone was excited to see her on their level, they were expecting her to be just like them and they were glad for it. The story states "When her father died,it got bout that the house was all that was left to her; and in a way, people were glad. At last they could pity Miss Emily...she had become humanized. Now she too would know the old thrill and the old despair of a penny more or less" (Faulkner, pg. 254)
2. The capitalist beliefs that the Grierson's had really had a tole on Emily, because of their classism beliefs, that they were too good for society and Miss Emily's fathers belief that no man was good enough for his daughter, Miss Emily never got married. The story states "We did not think she was crazy then. We believed that she had to do that. We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will. (Faulkner, pg.254). Also due to their competing life styles after Emily's great-aunt died the family go separated, when they feuded over her inheritance, so Emily didn't really ever learn how to survive in the economic world because no one taught her. Plus she had little to no family around to support her during her time of grief after her father died. The story states "...the crazy woman, and there was no communication between the two families. They had not even been represented at the funeral." (Faulkner, pg.255).