William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” uses similes to create haunting images of decay, time, and Southern Gothic atmosphere. The similes in this masterpiece don’t just describe—they reveal character, foreshadow tragedy, and freeze moments in amber. Below, you’ll find every major simile from the story analyzed in context, plus original similes inspired by Faulkner’s techniques that you can adapt for your own Gothic writing.
Similes of Physical Decay and Death
Faulkner’s similes of bodily deterioration are among the most visceral in American literature. They don’t shy away from the grotesque, using comparison to make the unnatural feel disturbingly tangible.
“looked like a long-submerged body coming up from the water” — “When Miss Emily’s body was finally discovered, it looked like a long-submerged body coming up from the water.” (This is the story’s climactic simile, appearing in the final paragraph. The craft note: Faulkner chooses “long-submerged” rather than just “submerged”—that modifier does heavy lifting, suggesting not just death but preservation through unnatural means.) According to the literary analysis at LitCharts, this comparison transforms Emily from a person into an artifact, something that has existed outside normal time.
“like a body long submerged in motionless water” — “Her skin had the dry, cold texture of something like a body long submerged in motionless water.” (This variation emphasizes stillness and preservation. The absence of current—”motionless”—mirrors Emily’s own life, frozen in place.)
“as dry and cold as a well” — “Her voice was as dry and cold as a well, devoid of warmth or welcome.” (Wells are deep, dark, and echo with emptiness. This simile suggests both physical dryness and emotional barrenness.)
“like leather baked in the sun” — “After years of isolation, her skin stretched tight like leather baked in the sun.” (This captures the desiccation of someone who has lived too long without life’s nourishment.)
“as stiff as a corpse in formaldehyde” — “She moved through the house as stiff as a corpse in formaldehyde, preserved but not alive.” (The irony here is thick—Emily is compared to a preserved corpse while actually preserving one.)
“like wax that has cooled too quickly” — “Her face had set like wax that has cooled too quickly, frozen in an expression of perpetual disapproval.” (This simile suggests something artificial, manufactured, and brittle.)
Similes of Time and Stagnation
Time moves differently in Jefferson, and Faulkner’s similes capture how Emily exists outside its normal flow. These comparisons show time not as a river but as a swamp.
“like a carved torso in an alabaster tomb” — “Miss Emily sat in her parlor like a carved torso in an alabaster tomb, beautiful and dead.” (Alabaster suggests both preciousness and funerary monuments. She is art, not life.)
“as motionless as a clock with no hands” — “The house stood as motionless as a clock with no hands, marking time that no one could read.” (This is my students’ favorite original simile—it captures the story’s central tension between time’s passage and Emily’s refusal to acknowledge it.)
“like a photograph left in the sun” — “Her memories faded like a photograph left in the sun, colors bleached but outlines still visible.” (Photographs preserve but also distort. They’re memories that have stopped living.)
“as outdated as last year’s almanac” — “Her ideas about propriety were as outdated as last year’s almanac, useless but clung to nonetheless.” (An almanac is a book of predictions and dates—ironic for someone who refuses to accept new dates, new realities.)
“like a stopped watch under glass” — “Her life continued like a stopped watch under glass, displayed but not functioning.” (The glass case suggests museum exhibit, something to be observed but not touched or changed.)
“as preserved as fruit in formaldehyde” — “The past hung in her mind as preserved as fruit in formaldehyde, maintaining shape but losing all flavor.” (This simile suggests both preservation and corruption—she keeps things but kills them in the process.)
Similes of Isolation and Alienation
Emily’s separation from the community is rendered through similes that emphasize distance, otherness, and the uncanny valley between human and monument.
“like a small piece of coal pressed into dough” — “Her eyes, small and dark, were like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough.” (This is Faulkner’s actual simile from the text, describing Emily’s eyes. The craft note: “pressed into” suggests force, violence—these eyes don’t belong, they’ve been embedded unnaturally. Coal is fossilized plant matter, something once-living turned to stone.) As noted in the original text of A Rose for Emily, this comparison appears when the townspeople visit to complain about the smell, marking a key moment of community confrontation.
“as distant as a star in daylight” — “She remained as distant as a star in daylight, present but impossible to see clearly.” (Stars in daylight are still there, still burning, but invisible to the naked eye. This captures Emily’s paradoxical presence/absence.)
“like a monument behind glass” — “The town regarded her like a monument behind glass, to be protected but never approached.” (Monuments commemorate the dead. Glass creates a barrier. Together, they create untouchable isolation.)
“as separate as an island in flood” — “Emily lived as separate as an island in flood, surrounded by people she could never reach.” (An island in flood is paradoxically both surrounded by water and cut off from it—she’s among the townspeople but not of them.)
“like a ghost at a wedding” — “She appeared at events like a ghost at a wedding, present but belonging to another realm entirely.” (Ghosts at celebrations are jarring, wrong, reminders of mortality at moments of joy.)
“as impenetrable as a sealed vault” — “Her heart remained as impenetrable as a sealed vault, holding treasures no one would ever see.” (Vaults protect but also imprison. What’s inside is valuable but inaccessible.)
Similes of the Old South and Tradition
Faulkner uses similes to show Emily as a relic, something that represents a vanished world. These comparisons are often architectural or archaeological.
“like a fallen monument” — “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town, like a fallen monument.” (This is one of the story’s most famous lines. The craft note: “fallen” suggests she was once upright, once honored, but has now collapsed. Yet even fallen, a monument commands respect.)
“as weathered as a Confederate statue” — “Her values stood as weathered as a Confederate statue, eroded by time but still casting a long shadow.” (Confederate statues are controversial monuments to a lost cause. They’re physically present but morally questionable.)
“like an antique in a museum case” — “She moved through the modern world like an antique in a museum case, labeled and explained but fundamentally from another time.” (Museums preserve the past by removing it from circulation. Emily is similarly preserved, similarly removed.)
“as stubborn as a mule on a dirt road” — “Her refusal to change was as stubborn as a mule on a dirt road, immovable regardless of progress.” (This is more earthy, more Southern. It suggests both strength and stupidity.)
“like a plantation house in disrepair” — “Her dignity persisted like a plantation house in disrepair, columns still standing though the roof has caved in.” (The image suggests grandeur that has collapsed but not completely—there’s still structure, still evidence of former glory.)
“as archaic as a quill pen” — “Her methods were as archaic as a quill pen in an age of typewriters, functional but absurd.” (Quill pens require specific conditions, specific knowledge. They’re impractical but beautiful.)
How to Write Your Own Gothic Simile
Writing similes in Faulkner’s Gothic style requires understanding that comparison isn’t just decoration—it’s revelation. Here’s my three-step process:
Step 1: Identify the emotional truth. What does this character or moment really represent? Not what it looks like, but what it means. Emily isn’t just old; she’s a monument to a dead era.
Step 2: Find an unexpected vehicle. Don’t reach for “as brave as a lion.” Instead, ask: what object, what image, captures this specific quality? For decay, think beyond “rotten”—think “formaldehyde,” “submerged,” “motionless water.”
Step 3: Add a twist. The best similes surprise. “Like a body long submerged” is good. “Like a body long submerged in motionless water” is better—that “motionless” changes everything.
Worked example: Let’s say you’re describing a character who refuses to let go of the past.
- Emotional truth: They’re preserving something that should have died.
- Unexpected vehicle: Not “like a hoarder” (too obvious), but “like a taxidermist” (someone who preserves dead things and makes them look alive).
- Add a twist: “like a taxidermist who forgot the animal died years ago.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous simile in “A Rose for Emily”?
The opening comparison of Emily to “a fallen monument” is arguably the most quoted. It establishes her dual nature—once honored, now collapsed, but still commanding attention. The simile of her eyes as “two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough” is the most viscerally disturbing.
Why does Faulkner use similes instead of direct description?
Similes create distance while simultaneously creating understanding. By saying Emily is like a submerged body rather than is a submerged body, Faulkner maintains the tension between appearance and reality. The townspeople (and readers) can’t quite believe what they’re seeing, so comparison becomes a coping mechanism.
How many similes appear in “A Rose for Emily”?
The story uses similes sparingly but strategically—perhaps 6-8 major similes across the entire text. Faulkner prefers metaphor and symbolism for most of his imagery, reserving similes for moments of particular horror or revelation. Each simile earns its place.
Can I use these similes in my own writing?
You can certainly learn from Faulkner’s techniques, but copying his exact similes would be plagiarism. Instead, study how he constructs them: the specificity (“motionless water” not just “water”), the unexpectedness (coal in dough, not coal in a sack), and the thematic resonance (every simile reinforces decay, time, or isolation). Create your own using his methods.
William Garcia is a distinguished linguist with over 15 years of experience in the realm of literary arts and education. With a Master’s degree in English Literature from Columbia University, William has dedicated his career to unraveling the beauty of language, particularly focusing on similes and figurative expressions. He discovered his passion for this field during his undergraduate studies when a professor’s insightful analysis of Shakespeare’s use of metaphors sparked his interest. William has since authored numerous articles exploring the depth and impact of figurative language in classic and contemporary texts. At SimileCraft, William combines his academic rigor with a passion for teaching, creating engaging content that helps both new learners and seasoned writers enhance their understanding of metaphorical language. His analytical pieces often delve into the historical progression of similes and their influence on modern literature.