what is the thesis of a rose for emily

A Rose for Emily Thesis Statement and Outline Examples

• sociology essay

A Rose for Emily is a fantastic short story written by William Faulkner and analyzed by many critics. It is usually a part of college and university literature courses due to the variety of details that can be examined, kept within such a short story. The life of miss Grierson could be described in a long novel; however, Faulkner showed his talent to be laconic, yet concise in his literature. As a result, each sentence in the story is beyond information; moreover, the plot can be analyzed from a variety of different perspectives. If you struggle to choose one, you can refer to our A Rose for Emily thesis statement examples and outlines to get inspiration for further writing. Moreover, you can check our example of A Rose for Emily essay to see how it can be composed. 

A Rose for Emily Thesis Statement Examples

If you have an analysis essay, which goes far beyond a simple plot description, make sure to choose an interesting aspect of this story — as there are so many of them. You can stick to the examples provided below or select your own; in any case, this short story has lots of points to discuss. 

Thesis Statement Example 1: Psychoanalysis

The life of Miss Grierson in A Rose of Family is heavily impacted by her relationships with father, who remained to be the only prominent male figure in her life, combining in his methods of upbringing his dominative nature, Electra complex, and neurotic character.

Thesis Statement Example 2: Feminism

Despite having psychological issues, Miss Grierson can be regarded as a powerful woman, who made the whole city respect her during decades, showed her dignity, and avoided being suppressed by male power. 

Thesis Statement Example 3: The Tragedy of Arrogance

It the arrogance of Miss Grierson and her father that made the woman live a miserable life, using money from the citizens, keeping the dead body of her beloved man, and dying in absolute loneliness and despair. 

Thesis Statement Example 4: Critics of the American South

A character of Miss Grierson in A Rose for Emily symbolizes the pretentious citizens of American South dusting the Civil War: in the same way as Emily, they live in the past, being caught by their traditions and limitations. 

Thesis Statement Example 5: A True Love

Living a quiet, lonely life, Ms. Grierson has finally decided to get married; however, her norms of living, as well as the man she chose for creating a family leave the question open — was there a place for true love in the house of Griersons? 

A Rose for Emily Outline Example

Once you have created a suitable thesis statement, make the next step and start working on the outline: it will help you to organize your thoughts accurately from the very beginning, being a guideline for you during the writing process. You can stick to the example below while developing your own outline for the essay: I. Introduction

• Many people consider A Rose for Emily a tragic drama of loneliness; however, this story also contains a love line, brief yet powerful. 
• Thesis statement: Living a quiet, lonely life, Ms. Grierson has finally decided to get married; however, her norms of living, as well as the man she chose for creating a family leave the question open — was there a place for true love in the house of Griersons? 

II. Arguments for Emily’s true love

• Emily seemed to be happy while dating Homer Barron, despite his simple origin. 
• Miss Grierson was not afraid to lose her aristocracy, marrying a simple worker from the North.
• Emily kept the dead body of her beloved man during all the years she lived after that. 

III. Arguments against Emily’s true love

• Emily was too arrogant and obsessed with her title to marry someone without a noble origin.
• She might have killed Homer to make him stay with her forever.

IV. Final ideas regarding the nature of the love of the main character

• Emily might have considered her attitude to Homer love; however, it was another manifestation of her mental issues.

V. Conclusion

• Love can be different; however, sometimes, people tend to confuse love and affection.
•  Faulkner raises the question about the nature of love.
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Told from the perspective of Jefferson, in Yoknapatawpha County, in a narrative voice that consistently relates the details that “we”—the smug and gossipy townspeople of Jefferson—have observed, the story is intriguing on the level of plot and character alone: Miss Emily has just died, and we learn that she lived alone after her father died and Homer Baron, her Yankee lover, apparently abandoned her. Suspense continues to build when we learn that a mysterious odor emanated from her house at the time that Homer disappeared. Faulkner employs a number of clues to foreshadow both denouement and motivation, including the “tableau” of the imperious father with a horsewhip overshadowing his white-clad young daughter Emily; the portrait of her father that Emily displays at his death, despite his thwarting of her natural youthful desires; her defiant public appearances with the unsuitable Homer Baron; her sense of entitlement; and the arsenic she buys to rid her house of “rats.” Despite these and other devices, however, new generations of readers still react in horror when Emily’s secret is revealed: She not only murdered her lover but slept with his corpse in the attic bridal chamber she carefully prepared.

If Miss Emily is crazy (and most critics agree that she is), Faulkner implies that she has been made so by the constrictions of a father who refused to let her marry and by the conventions of a society that eagerly filled the void at his death. Numerous critics have suggested that behind the gothic horror of necrophilia and insanity in this classic story, Miss Emily Grierson is the oddly modern hero. Indeed, one critic asserts that we cannot understand any of Faulkner’s heroes if we do not understand Miss Emily, for she is the “prototype” of them all (Strindberg 877). As with other troubled Faulknerian protagonists, death literally frees Miss Emily—from patriarchy, from society’s conventions, from sexual repression, from the class structure she was taught to revere, from the useless existence of privileged women of her era, even from the burdens of southern history and slavery: With her death, her black servant, mysteriously complicit in his relation to Miss Emily, walks out of her house at the end of the story. In an interview at the University of Virginia, Faulkner suggested that Miss Emily deserved a rose for all the torment she had endured, and, whatever else they feel, most readers appear to agree with this sentiment.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography. 2 Vols. New York: Random House, 1974. Rev. ed., New York: Random House, 1984. Carothers, James. Faulkner’s Short Stories. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1985. Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” In Collected Short Stories. New York: Random House, 1940. Ferguson, James. Faulkner’s Short Fiction. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1991. Strindberg, Victor. “A Rose for Emily.” In Reader’s Guide to Short Fiction, edited by Noelle Watson, 577. Detroit: St. James Press, 1993.

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“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner: Analysis

“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, published in 1930, quickly captivated readers for its setting, characters and thematic strands.

Introduction: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Table of Contents

“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, published in 1930, quickly captivated readers for its setting, characters and thematic strands. Set in the fictional Mississippi town of Jefferson, the story centers on Emily Grierson, a mysterious Southern belle whose life and death become an obsession for the townspeople. Faulkner’s masterful use of non-linear storytelling explores themes of tradition, societal change, and the decay of the Old South, solidifying “A Rose for Emily” as a lasting contribution to American literature.

Main Events in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

• Emily faces her father’s death; her actions shock the community. Emily’s denial of her father’s passing leads her to keep his body within her home for three days, and upon finally releasing the body for burial, she descends into a life of isolation.
• Years later, Emily challenges the established order. When town officials attempt to collect taxes, Emily not only refuses but insists the town remains indebted to her. Her defiance is mirrored in her seclusion; she rarely ventures from her home, a notable exception being her unsettling purchase of arsenic.
• A new generation questions Emily’s past as a mysterious romance unfolds. Intrigued by her enigmatic history, the town’s youth fixate on her relationship with Homer Barron, a Northern laborer. Their frequent sightings together incite whispers of an engagement.
• Emily’s arsenic purchase fuels the townspeople’s fears. Her acquisition of the poison strengthens their belief that she intends suicide, yet no tragedy occurs, and her withdrawn existence continues.
• Homer’s disappearance ignites speculation, while a disturbing odor emerges. When Homer vanishes, the townspeople’s suspicions swirl. Emily remains unmoved by his absence, but a foul smell from her property raises further alarm.
• Emily’s death unveils a horrifying truth. Upon her passing, the townspeople infiltrate her home and stumble upon a gruesome secret: Emily had preserved Homer’s corpse and slept beside it for years.
• A flashback illuminates Emily’s isolation. The narrative returns to the night of her father’s death, exposing his relentless interference in her romantic life, ultimately leading to her desolate existence.
• The townspeople’s actions offer a twisted form of closure. Their decision to bury Homer within Emily’s home implies a warped sense of fulfillment for her, as if she’d finally obtained the companionship she desperately craved.
• A haunting image lingers. The story concludes with the chilling visual of a single gray hair on the pillow beside Homer’s remains, suggesting Emily’s disturbing intimacy persisted even beyond his death.
• The haunting finale prompts contemplation. The story’s final line – “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair” – forces the reader to grapple with the complexities of Emily’s character and the story’s central themes.

Characterization in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Major characters, minor characters, major themes in “a rose for emily” by william faulkner.

• The Destructive Nature of Isolation:

·  Emily’s Self-Imposed Seclusion: After her father’s death, Emily becomes a recluse, cutting herself off from the outside world.

• The Consequences of Isolation: Emily’s isolation leads to a warped perception of reality, contributing to her psychological decline and a horrifying secret.

·  The Clash of Tradition vs. Change

• Emily as a Symbol of the Old South: Emily clings fiercely to the traditions and values of the past, represented by her decaying mansion and her resistance to change.
• Homer Barron as a Symbol of Progress: Homer, a Northern laborer, represents modernity and change that threaten Emily’s traditional world.
• The Town’s Ambivalence: The townspeople are caught between a fading past and an uncertain future, reflected in their conflicting attitudes towards Emily.

·  The Fading Glory of the American South

• The Decaying Grierson Mansion: The once-grand house symbolizes the decline of the Old South and its aristocratic families.
• Emily’s Resistance to Change: Emily’s insistence on maintaining the status quo mirrors the larger social struggle between tradition and progress in the post-Civil War South.

·  The Illusion of Control

• Mr. Grierson’s Influence: Emily’s father exerts extreme control over her life, preventing her from marrying and contributing to her isolation.
• Emily’s Desperate Measures: Emily’s actions with Homer reveal a twisted desire to control love and death, ultimately leading to a horrifying discovery.

·  The Unreliability of Memory and Perception

• The Non-Linear Narrative: The story’s fragmented timeline blurs the lines between past and present, mirroring the town’s unreliable memory of events.
• The Townspeople’s Bias: The collective narrator filters events through their own prejudices and limited understanding of Emily, leaving the truth obscured.

Writing Style in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

·  Non-linear Narrative: Faulkner disrupts the traditional flow of time with flashbacks and forward jumps. Examples:

• The story starts with Emily’s funeral, then flashes back to her relationship with her father.
• Details about Homer are revealed in fragments, heightening the mystery of his fate.

·  Multiple Narrators and Shifting Points of View: The collective “we” of the townspeople narrates the story, offering a limited perspective. Examples:

• The townspeople speculate about Emily’s purchase of arsenic, drawing their own assumptions.
• Their interpretation of events might contrast with the reality of Emily’s motivations.

·  Vivid, Poetic Language: Faulkner uses striking imagery to evoke a sense of gothic decay and despair. Examples:

• Descriptions of the Grierson mansion as “stubborn and coquettish” and smelling of “dust and disuse.”
• Emily’s appearance is likened to “a body long submerged in motionless water.”

·  Atmosphere of Foreboding Faulkner crafts a palpable feeling of dread and unease, foreshadowing the macabre ending. Examples:

• The townspeople’s observations of a strange smell surrounding Emily’s house.
• Emily’s purchase of arsenic hints at a potentially sinister purpose.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Questions and thesis statements about “a rose for emily” by william faulkner.

1. The Theme of Isolation in “A Rose for Emily”

• Strong focus: This topic is directly tied to one of the story’s central themes.
• Character-centered: By analyzing Emily, you can explore how her isolation develops and its consequences.
• How does the town contribute to her isolation?
• Is her isolation entirely negative, or does it offer something to her as well?

2. The Role of Gender in “A Rose for Emily”

• Relevant critique: Gender expectations are a powerful force in the story.
• Potential for depth: This can be connected to broader themes like Southern womanhood, power dynamics, and societal change.
• How do the townspeople’s expectations of women both trap and, oddly, protect Emily?
• Explore other female figures in the story (even minor ones) as a contrast.

3. The Use of Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”

• Rich with symbolism: The story is layered with meaningful symbols.
• Allows for close analysis: Focusing on specific symbols can enhance your exploration of the key themes.
• Look beyond obvious symbols to less-discussed ones (hair, dust, etc.).
• How do the symbols interact or contradict each other?

4. The Narrative Structure of “A Rose for Emily”

• Unique aspect of the story: Faulkner’s structure is a key element of its impact.
• Connects form to meaning: Analyzing how the narrative is structured helps reveal deeper layers of meaning.
• How does the fragmented timeline influence our understanding of Emily?
• What effect does the collective narrator (“we”) have?

5. The Role of Death in “A Rose for Emily”

• Powerful motif: Death is ever-present in this story.
• Explores multiple facets: This topic could focus on literal deaths, metaphorical deaths (of the Old South), or Emily’s relationship to mortality.
• How does Emily’s connection to death differ from the townspeople’s?
• Does death represent an escape for Emily, or something else?

Short Question-Answer “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Literary works similar to “a rose for emily” by william faulkner.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman:

• Shared Themes: Both stories explore the psychological deterioration of women due to isolation and confinement. The protagonists descend into fragmented mental states as a result of their restricted circumstances.
• Stylistic Similarities: Gilman and Faulkner employ first-person narration that grows increasingly unreliable, offering the reader a distorted view of events that mirrors the character’s fracturing psyche.

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe:

• Shared Themes: The decaying mansions in both stories serve as stark symbols of isolation, psychological decline, and the crumbling of old legacies. The themes of death and decay pervade both narratives.
• Stylistic Similarities: Poe and Faulkner are renowned Southern Gothic authors, sharing a talent for creating a haunting atmosphere, exploring macabre settings, and incorporating elements of the supernatural.

“ A Good Man Is Hard to Find ” by Flannery O’Connor:

• Shared Themes: Both O’Connor and Faulkner expose the darker aspects of the South, questioning notions of morality and human nature. Their characters—The Misfit and Emily Grierson—offer enigmatic psychological profiles, inviting speculation about their hidden motives.
• Stylistic Similarities: Both writers portray grotesque scenarios with an air of detachment, forcing the reader to confront unsettling moral implications.

“ The Lottery ” by Shirley Jackson:

• Shared Themes: Both stories challenge the idealization of small-town life, revealing the horrors that can lie beneath the surface of tradition and conformity.
• Stylistic Similarities: Jackson and Faulkner build suspense with matter-of-fact prose that contrasts with the disturbing events, culminating in chilling twists.

“Winesburg, Ohio” by Sherwood Anderson:

• Shared Themes: This interconnected collection of short stories explores the complexities of small-town life, mirroring Faulkner’s focus on themes of loneliness, isolation, and the universal desire for connection.
• Stylistic Similarities: Both authors use fragmented structures and multiple perspectives to construct complex portrayals of their characters and the communities they inhabit.

Suggested Readings: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Scholarly Articles

• Bloom, Harold. “Introduction.” Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: A Rose for Emily, New Edition, edited by Harold Bloom, Chelsea House Publishers, 2008, pp. 1–9.
• Justus, James H. “The Narrator in ‘A Rose for Emily.'” Journal of Narrative Technique, vol. 1, no. 3, 1971, pp. 195-209. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30225170.
• Polk, Noel. “The Narrative Strategy of ‘A Rose for Emily.'” Modern Language Studies, vol. 13, no. 4, 1983, pp. 3-11. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3194650

Books of Literary Criticism

• Brooks, Cleanth. William Faulkner: Toward Yoknapatawpha and Beyond. Yale University Press, 1978.
• Millgate, Michael. The Achievement of William Faulkner. Random House, 1963.
• Tuck, Dorothy. Faulkner’s Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, 1980.
• SparkNotes: A Rose for Emily. SparkNotes Editors. 2002. https://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-rose-for-emily/
• CliffsNotes: A Rose for Emily. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/faulkners-short-stories/summary-and-analysis-a-rose-for-emily/section-i
• The William Faulkner Project https://english.olemiss.edu/faulkner-in-america-kathryn-mckee/

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A Rose for Emily

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Society — A Rose For Emily Theme Analysis

A Rose for Emily Theme Analysis

• Categories: Mental Health Society

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Table of contents

I. introduction, a. "a rose for emily" by william faulkner is a timeless classic that delves into the complexities of human nature and societal norms. set in the fictional town of jefferson, the story follows the life of emily grierson, a reclusive woman whose mysterious actions captivate the townspeople., b. thesis statement: the theme of isolation in "a rose for emily" highlights the impact of societal expectations on an individual's mental health. throughout the narrative, faulkner skillfully portrays the consequences of isolation and the detrimental effects of conforming to societal standards., ii. emily's isolation from society, a. from the outset, signs of emily's isolation are evident. she is portrayed as a recluse, rarely seen in public and shrouded in mystery. her secluded lifestyle raises questions among the townspeople, leading to speculation and gossip., b. various factors contribute to emily's isolation, including her domineering father's influence and the town's rigid expectations of her. the pressure to adhere to societal norms and maintain her family's reputation weighs heavily on emily, pushing her further into seclusion., c. the effects of emily's isolation on her mental state are profound. as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that her solitude has taken a toll on her psyche. her erratic behavior and detachment from reality point to the damaging consequences of prolonged isolation., iii. society's role in emily's isolation, a. society's expectations play a significant role in emily's isolation. the townspeople hold her to a high standard, expecting her to uphold the traditions of the past and conform to their ideals of propriety. this pressure only serves to exacerbate emily's feelings of isolation and alienation., b. the consequences of society's treatment of emily are far-reaching. she is judged and ostracized by the community, forced to live up to their unrealistic expectations while grappling with her own inner turmoil. the town's collective judgment further isolates emily, driving her deeper into seclusion., c. in comparison to other characters in the story, emily's isolation stands out as particularly tragic. while others may experience moments of loneliness or alienation, emily's isolation is all-encompassing, shaping her entire existence. faulkner uses emily's character to explore the devastating impact of societal pressure and the toll it can take on an individual's mental health., d. emily's struggle with tradition and change is a central theme in "a rose for emily." throughout the story, emily resists the changing world around her, clinging to the traditions of the past. her refusal to adapt to societal norms and embrace progress ultimately leads to her isolation and downfall., e. the tension between tradition and progress is palpable in the story, highlighting the clash between old ways and new ideas. emily's inability to reconcile these conflicting forces results in her alienation from society and ultimately her tragic demise., f. emily's struggle with tradition and change also impacts her relationships with others. her refusal to conform to societal expectations creates a barrier between herself and the townspeople, making it difficult for her to form meaningful connections. this isolation further deepens her sense of loneliness and detachment from the world around her..

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The South is Wilting | An analysis on A Rose for Emily

In 1860 the American South seceded from the Union to preserve their Southern way of life this consequently caused the American Civil War. After years of fighting, the South lost the Civil War and fell into the Reconstruction era lasting from the mid to late 1800s, stripping the South of everything but their proud Southern heritage. In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” he uses his text as a metaphor for the South’s struggle to abandon their traditions for modernity during the Reconstruction era through the life of Miss Emily Grierson. Using themes of control, isolation, and attachment, Faulkner draws from his old Southern roots to illuminate the turmoil the South faced as they tried to prolong their way of life when everything else was out of their control. In the clash between modernity and traditions, Emily’s traditional neighbors control her attempts to evolve into a modern woman turning her private life into the public. The outside forces controlling Emily’s life ultimately push her to insanity and death as she also tries to preserve her way of life through one of the only things she can control: isolation.

Similar to the South during the Reconstruction era, Emily’s way of life is continually stripped away by outside forces until she decides to resist and control her own life. After the horrors of the Civil War, the federal government imposes reconstruction to rebuild the South and modernize its regressive traditions. At the beginning of reconstruction, the old generation of Southerners resisted modernization and clung to their traditions. However, as the era progressed, a new generation of Southerners took control of the modernization and adapted the region to create a New South and expand on their traditions. Being the last of a long line of Southern aristocrats, Miss Emily represents the end of the old generation and is a relic of her time. Similar to Miss Emily, the author descended from a long line of southern aristocrats and used his upbringing in Reconstruction-era Mississippi for the story. Faulkner’s background helps him draw parallels to the townspeople stopping Emily from modernizing to the South, stopping reconstruction from completely modernizing their home.

Due to her family’s high status, Emily is born into the life of a southern belle, which is a well-off woman who is confined to oppressive gender roles, and her value is based on her beauty and femininity. Under gender roles, southern belle’s are controlled by the men in their life and the critical eye of other high society women whose judgments of each other work to control their reputation and how the rest sees them of society. After the death of EMily’s father, the belle abandons gentry for a reconstructionist life like the new generation of Southerners. With her newfound freedom, Emily begins to evolve into a modern woman, and starts with finding a suitor that she approves of. Although her father was gone there were still people who wanted to keep Emily from evolving. Without knowing anything about her life, Emily’s generation or the old generation of Southerners continually works to control Emily’s personal life. Employing the help of the local priest and Emily’s distinct cousins in Alabama, the ladies of the town work hard to keep Emily in line and maintain the image of an idyllic Southern town.

When the ladies of the town notice how out of character Emily is, they work to stop her from ruining her status of being a “disgrace to the town” (Faulkner 1072) by modernizing and marrying a Yankee. These women want to stop Emily from being “a bad example to the young people” (Faulkner 1072) by giving them the idea to modernize instead of conforming to Jefferson’s traditional agenda. After the Civil War, this old generation of Southern ladies never returned to their way of life before reconstruction. However, groups such as the Daughters of the Confederacy (Hunter 1) used the next generation of Southerners to keep the fantasy of Antebellum South alive. These groups funded Confederate memorial statues, created museums, and educated their children with their skewed views. By controlling modern figures such as Emily, the old generation was able to shield the new generation of Southerners from reconstructionist ideas and created policies that fought modernization. Even though Emily resisted being controlled by her generation and married the Northerner, it came at a price. Emily lives out the rest of her life in isolation, serving a symbolic life sentence for not conforming to Southern society’s norms. Ultimately, by extracting herself from society, Emily loses all control over how the townspeople of Jefferson, Mississippi, view her, leaving herself vulnerable to the harsh judgments chronicled throughout the story.

Spending her early years isolated away from everyone in the town of Jefferson, Mississippi but her father no one really knows anything about Emily or her life, resulting in the misjudgements of the local townspeople. As Emily got older, she began to emerge into society, but quickly went back to isolation when she was criticized for not conforming with others. When Emily felt that she had lost almost all control over her life to the outside world, she took charge over one of the last aspects of her life where no one would control her. Lacking the ability to evolve without the critical eye of her generation, Emily isolates herself inside her home, allowing herself to be the only one to control her life instead of the outside world. Now free from the outside world, Emily finally has control to make her own choices within isolation but now in control she chooses not to control her life. Instead allowing everything around her to die, including the modern woman inside her which marks the end of her life leaving her with nothing to do but grow old in solitude. Emily’s grand home which used to be the model of classic Southern architecture and a representation of the past that the old generation longs for, turned into “an eyesore among eyesores,” (Faulkner 1066) consumed with the smell of Emily’s rotting husband. In her isolation, Emily’s life and everything around her begins to rot as the past is revealed to be not as great as it seems.

Clinging to a life they barely know; the old generation is attached to the past throughout the story. Retelling their idea of the lost cause of the Confederacy as if it were good old days, across the South to fight modernization. The townspeople of Jefferson, Mississippi work within their best interests to bring back the past and raise the next generation to live in a time centuries before them. Interested in the life of a woman they do not know; the old generation involves themselves in the personal life of Miss Emily Grierson to stop her from modernizing. Both groups attached to their own ideas, causing conflict which ends with both sticking to their own ideas. Both tightly clinging to their ideals without any space for adaptation, leads to severe consequences such as insanity by having no allies or obsession of pushing one’s agenda and pushing others to the side. The attachment of traditions led to the South’s struggle with Reconstruction and ultimate destruction of other people through hurtful policies such as Jim Crow. Evolution is needed to loosen the grip of one idea for future advancement that can occur, but due to the importance of preservation the South was isolated from the rest of America’s advancements. Making their situation similar to Emily’s as those in the South try to modernize while the townspeople represent the rest of the South who work to prevent the success of Reconstruction. Ultimately choosing to kill the idea of ever advancing without possibility of changing and symbolically rotting into the ugliness of the Jim Crow era.

Narrated by those who knew Miss Emily the least, the townspeople of Jefferson, Mississippi, recall their life through their critical lenses and speculation. As a product of her generation, Emily tries to evolve and break the oppressed Southern Belles’ trend, defined by superficial qualities. Emily’s story is a metaphor for the South’s constant battle due to the Reconstruction-era as they protected their traditions and defeated modernizing forces. Faulkner places all the worst aspects of reconstructionist south in Emily’s character. Highlighting the individuals who controlled the South’s narrative to preserve their traditions alongside their agenda, those who shut themselves into isolation to avoid judgments for modernizing, and the region’s attachment to a distant memory of Antebellum South. Ultimately the Reconstruction era engaged the South in another Civil War, as the majority fought off modernization and the minority faced a silent battle to any hope of a reformed South. With a region fighting against itself, it is easy to understand why Faulkner wrote “A Rose for Emily,” as an “an irrevocable tragedy” (Jelliffe 1) with citizens fighting against the advancement of their home to preserve their comfortable life. There is nothing you can do to stop this tragedy but pity and offer a rose to the neglected South out of pity of what the region could be instead of how it grew to be. 

Works Cited

A Rose for Emily. Directed by Lyndon Cubbuck. Performances by Anjelica Husto, John Randolph and John Carradine. Chubbuck Production Company, 1983.

Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” McDougal Littell Literature: American Literature . Ed. Applebee et al. 6th ed. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. 1064-1077.

Gone with the Wind. Directed by Victor Fleming. Performances by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, Selznick International Pictures, 1939.

Google Images for free and fair use.

Hunter, Alex. “Why ‘A Rose for Emily’ is a representation of Reconstruction South.” Medium. 2018. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@alexhunter365/why-a-rose-for-emily-is-a-representation-of-reconstruction-south-46c4b31978c8

Jelliffe, Robert. “Faulkner at Nagano.” Tokyo: Kenkyusha Ltd., 1956. Retrived from http://admin.faulkner.edu/admin/websites/cwarmack/William%20Faulkner%20speaks%20on.pdf

Oneclick. “Blooming Rose Flower || Time-Lapse Movie.” Youtube. 2018. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0TcPkdVsK8

132 A Rose for Emily Essay Topics & Examples

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Do you find yourself wondering what you can discuss in A Rose for Emily essay? Grab some sample topic questions below:

• What is the role of the southern storytelling style in the story?
• Does the non-chronological order of story affect readers’ perception? How?
• How does the author build suspense? Is it effective?
• Why did the murderer of Homer Barron remain unknown until Emily’s death?
• Analyze the portrayal of social structure of the South in the book. How does Faulkner describe changes in the early twentieth century?

If you want more helpful samples and suggestions to help you achieve your best, check our website!

• Critique for ‘A Rose for Emily’ The focus of this paper is to analyze the article, A Romance to Kill For: Homicidal Complicity in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” published in the journal of Studies in Short Fiction in terms of […]
• The Symbolism of the House in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner The author identifies the decaying symbolism of the house in the text through the author’s constant mentions of dust, which fills the Griersons’ mansion: “faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils”.
• William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Reaction Paper In this reaction paper to one of the most prominent Faulkner’s works, I attempt to describe and analyze the strategies that the author used to make this conflict acute and sympathetic to the reader.
• Importance of Point of View in “A Rose for Emily” On the one hand, it depends on the person who is telling the story; on the other hand, it is determined by the level of the narrator’s awareness.
• A Rose for Emily A rose for Emily is one of the books that is rich in styles that are employed to bring a clear picture of the theme story.
• “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner: Symbolism and Themes In “A Rose for Emily,” the theme of adapting to the changing environment is developed through the character of Miss Grierson and her reluctance to the changes.
• A Rose for Emily: Faulkner’s Short Story vs. Chubbuck’s Film Curry believed that the “stylistics of Faulkner’s language…serves to subordinate Emily, ostensibly the subject of the tale, and to elevate the town as the truer subject”.
• Nobility vs. Femininity: Overcoming Gender Norms in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” The plot of the story follows the life and death of a Southern woman Emily Grierson, mostly in the period after the Civil War.
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner: The Last Paragraph Although he uses the aspect of foreshadowing to relate to the tragic end of the story, the final paragraph comes as a shock to the reader.
• A Rose for Emily: A Short Story by William Faulkner However, in the course of the third part of the story, Faulkner quickly shifts from Miss Emily and Homer conjuring up some form of a relationship to discussing her purchasing the poison.
• A Rose for Emily and The Yellow Wallpaper: Compare & Contrast That is one of the main dangers that people should be aware of. This is one of the main points that can be made.
• Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner The character of Emily Grierson in William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily”, leaves the reader in dilemma as to whether Emily is the protagonist or the antagonist.
• Solitude as a Theme in The Yellow Wallpaper & A Rose for Emily She is an embodiment of a great breakthrough in the fact that she rediscovers her new energy and point of view.
• Social Victimization in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner This is because it was namely the fact that, ever since her early years Emily was indoctrinated to believe that she had no other option but to live up to the expectations of her traditionally […]
• Social Picture of US Southern Society: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner In the short story, Faulkner portrays that the beginning of the 1900s was marked by great social and economic changes but many people fail to accommodate their life to new social relations and a new […]
• “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner In conclusion, A Rose for Emily is an excellent example of the Southern Gothic genre. A Rose for Emily illustrates the Southern Gothic genre by reating it to Homer’s murder.
• A Rose for Emily Literary Analysis To gain an understanding of the story within a brief analysis, it is necessary to examine the story’s plot, characterization, point of view, theme, symbols, and setting.
• Grotesque in “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner One of the most appealing aspects of William Faulkner’s short story A Rose for Emily is that the readers’ exposure to the main character of Emily Grierson provides them with a better understanding of what […]
• Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”: Discussion and Analysis The author emphasizes the theme of gender roles and their perception in the story of Emily and the rest of the town.
• Binary Opposition in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” To transmit the message, Faulkner uses three binary oppositions: death life, the old the new, and the North the South. In this passage, Emily is compared to the soldiers who fell in the Civil War […]
• Literature Studies: William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily The author focuses on the life of Emily Grierson who once belonged to the Southern aristocracy; however, she is forced to adjust to the changes that American society underwent. This is one of the main […]
• William Faulkner and His Rose for Emily A Rose for Emily is the story that is characterized by numerous critical opinions: readers found the story interesting, unusual, and educative; and critics tried to admit as many negative or weak points as possible […]
• Protagonist’s Choices in Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily Arguably, Emily’s actions and choices in life are wrong and in contrast to the social expectations because of the impact her overly controlling and manipulative father had on her early upbringing.
• Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily and Wright’s The Man Who Was Almost a Man William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, set in Jefferson during the decades preceding and following the start of the twentieth century, depicts how an innocent girl, Emily Grierson, is driven to madness.
• The Lost Cause Interpretation of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Another interesting feature of the story is the couple of main topics of the work: the changes in the South and societal issues in general.
• William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and the Confederacy The third element of the Lost Cause myth is that the Confederacy was lost as a result of the high numerical that the Northern states had.
• Gender Roles in “A Rose for Emily”: Quotation Analysis This quote can be used to emphasize how detached from the human essence and, accordingly, the gender of Miss Emily is reflected by the author.
• O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily It further assesses the impact of the mode in which the information in the books is arranged compared to if it were set in a sequential manner.
• Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” as Gothic Romance In the story, the reader can share the experience of necrophilia and explore the components of decay by observing Emily who plays a dual part as both the subject and the object of necrophilia.
• “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner and “Those Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Le Guin In a way, the narrator serves as a guide in the made-up city that seems utopian until the readers find out about the child suffering in the basement and guaranteeing the happiness of everybody else […]
• Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”: Emily Grierson Characteristics The death of her father comes as a relief to her. Society wants her to live in the past that is already behind her.
• The Use of Symbolic Meaning in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner Losing her hair is a tragedy for a woman, and this symbol is also an implication of Emily’s life tragedy as she loses her love and has a life of wasting. Also, Emily isolated herself […]
• “A Rose for Emily” and “Paul’s Case”: Discontent With Life A rose for Emily and Paul’s case both convey stories of protagonists who were discontented with their lives and chose to defy society as a result of that discontentment.
• Relationships of History and Literature: “I Stood Here Ironing”, “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”, “A Rose for Emily” The next work to be discussed is an ironical interpretation of the classical fairy-tale “The Beauty and the Beast” titled “The Courtship of Mr.
• “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner, “The Handsomest Man Drowned in the World” by Marques, and “Cathedral” by Carver Initially, it seems to them that this is just some see animal or even whale though later they understand that this is the body of a human being.
• William Faulkner: Symbols in the Narrative of “A Rose for Emily” In the first place, the family house where Emily and her deceased father lived is one of the central symbolic images of the story.
• Hanisberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” The characters in A Raising in the Sun are real in the sense that the reader can have a feel of a mother’s love for her family and for her children to succeed in life.
• Themes and Writing Styles in “A Rose for Emily” and “The House on Mango Street” The House on Mango Street is a work of fiction, but the author breaks the conventional rules of form and plot.
• Women’s Character in Hurston’s “Sweat” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” The theme of the story is to present the character of a “lady” and her behavior in society, her actions, and justifications for them.
• Miss Emily Grierson’s Character in “A Rose for Emily” Her assumed insanity was to be expected after all the things she has endured the loss of a mother while growing up, the death of a father, the sudden loss of a charming way of […]
• Miss Emily Grierson’s Character Analysis: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner Her assumed insanity was to be expected after all the things she has endured the loss of a mother while growing up, the death of a father, the sudden loss of a charmed way of […]
• Families in ”A Rose for Emily” and ”Yellow Wallpaper” In prison with nothing to do, she eventually lost her mind and imagined that she was trapped in the yellow wallpaper.
• “A Rose for Emily” and “Letter of John Rolfe” An illustration to explain that this is nonfiction is the fact that it states, “This is a copy of the gentleman’s letters to Sir Thomas Dale.
• A Rose for Emily by Faulkner: Garrison’s Analysis In his examination of the story “A Rose for Emily,” Garrison presents an entirely different method of examination as compared to previous critiques of the story wherein he focuses on the way in which the […]
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner: Novel Understanding There are those who apt to think that the main motive of the novel is the theme of the time. The author describes the changes of the generations in the town and the changes of […]
• A Rose for Emily and A Good Man Is Hard to Find In order to highlight this idea, the writers focus on the values and worldviews of the characters who prefer to live in the imaginary world of their past.
• “A Rose for Emily” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” Having started with the announcement of her death, the author then reveals the main facts of her life from the point of view of the community of the city.
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner: A Thought-Provoking Novel First of all, the author enables the readers to feel the atmosphere of the American South after the end of the Civil War.
• Plot Means in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner The frozen in time quality of the setting, combined with the images of “coquettish decay,” underscore Miss Emily Grierson’s inability to free herself from the memory of her father and of the past.
• Character Analysis of A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner This essay discusses the character of the Townspeople with regard to the development of the themes and plot of the story.
• A Rose for Emily and The Guest After such an examination, a comparison will be done with the character of the Arab with the climax of the examination of the character culminating in the scene involving the 1,000 francs and the decision […]
• Aspect of Human Experience Faulkner presents death in the story through death-haunted life of Emily. Emily also refuses to acknowledge the death of Homer, though she was responsible for his death.
• Relationships in the Small Town: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner In this passage, close to the end of the short story A Rose for Emily, and at the end of Miss Emily’s life as an eccentric figure in the life of the town, Faulkner literally […]
• The Voice of Faulkner The death of Addie is also one of the dark and disturbing components of the narration. The end of the story illustrates that the entire piece has been a flashback since it talks about the […]
• Stylistic Devices in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner One of the stylistic devices employed by Faulkner in the story A Rose for Emily is the use of the third person plural point of view of course through hearsay.
• The Virtue of Moving Forward in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner The misery of those who are unable to accept the reality and to get free from the influence of the past is the main theme of William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily”, where […]
• The Fear of Change and Abandonment in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Symbol of Emily’s House in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Spirit Power of Women in an Act of Vengeance by Isabel Allende and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Theme of Appearance Versus Reality in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Undying Love for Emily in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Signs of Poverty, Neglect, and Stubbornness in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Use of Gothic Elements in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Psychosis of Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Struggles With Depression and Uncontrollable Changes in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Use of Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Concept of Conflict Between the New and the Old in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• An Analysis of the Archetypes in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• Theme of Death in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Attempts of Emily to Stop the Passage of Time in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Crime of Love in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Portrayal of the Passing in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Value of Human Relationship and the Effects of a Loss on a Person’s Outlook in Life in “A Rose for Emily”
• The Use of the Role of Male Figure in “A Rose for Emily”
• The Vicious Cycle of Control in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Use of Personality Traits to Foreshadow in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Conflict Between the Older and Younger Generations During a Time for Change in the South in “A Rose for Emily”
• The Mystery of the Rose and the Narrator in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner
• An Analysis of Plot Synchronicity in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Use of First Person Minor Point of View in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Masterful Use of Language in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Use of Symbolism and Characterization in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Patriarchal Society: “The Story of an Hour” and “A Rose for Emily”
• Use of Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Importance of the Minor Characters in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Symbolic Meaning of Emily in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Significance of the Townspeople and Emily’s Father in “A Rose for Emily”
• The Theme of Self-Isolation and Symbolism of Rose in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Tragedies of War as Explained in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Use of Time to Enhance Details of the Setting in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• Why Emily Committed Murder: Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Pursuit of Love: The Portrayal of Women in “A Rose for Emily”
• The Elements Used to Produce the Character of Emily in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Underlying Grotesque in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Impact of Imagery in Illustrating the Story of “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Role of Men in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• An Analysis of Emily’s Struggle in the Short Story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Universal Symbol of Love in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Representation of Miss Emily as an Extended Metaphor in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
• The Weaknesses and Insecurities of Emily in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Use of the Same Setting in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• The Peculiar Style of the Short Story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• What Details Support That Faulkner Uses Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”?
• Why Did Emily From “A Rose for Emily” Buy Arsenic?
• What Is Important About the Title of the Short Story “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Are the Conflicts in “A Rose for Emily”?
• How Does William Faulkner Reveal Character in “A Rose for Emily”?
• How Do the Themes in “A Rose for Emily” Relate to the Plot and Characters?
• What Is the Role of Wife and Mother in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is Significant About the Gray Hair at the End of “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Metaphor in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Central/Primary Purpose of “A Rose for Emily”?
• How Essential Is the Setting to the Story “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Role of Women in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Mental Illness Did Emily Have In “A Rose for Emily”?
• How Do the Symbols in “A Rose for Emily” Relate to the Plot and Characters?
• What Is the Moral Lesson of “A Rose for Emily”?
• Is Emily From “A Rose for Emily” a Victim or a Predator?
• What Is the Main Problem in “A Rose for Emily”?
• Does Any Uncertainty Remain in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is Emily’s Place in the Socio-Economic Structure of ‘“A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Conclusion in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Author’s Purpose of “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Is the Relationship Between Miss Emily and Her Father in “A Rose for Emily”?
• Is Emily’s Father to Blame for Insanity in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Are Literary Devices in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Causes the Smell Around Emily’s House in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Are the Elements in the Story of “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Are the Multiple Meanings for the “Rose” in “A Rose for Emily”?
• Who Is the Antagonist in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Kind of Language Does the Author Use in “A Rose for Emily”?
• What Kind of Narrator Is the Character Who Tells Miss Emily’s Story From “A Rose for Emily”?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Table of Contents

Letter from the president, letter from the dean, schedule of celebrations, department of economics, departments of english and history, government, international relations and global studies, college of liberal arts combined, department of mexican american and latina/o studies, plan ii honors, dean's distinguished graduates, undergraduate degree candidates, mission of the college of liberal arts.

In the College of Liberal Arts, we teach students to think critically and independently so they can thrive in the world beyond campus. We are dedicated to promoting cutting-edge research that helps people better understand human history, society, and culture.

By providing students a strong foundation in the humanities and social sciences, we serve as a model in education and intellectual excellence for other universities. Our distinguished faculty is committed to teaching and to developing the best academic programs available in their fields. And our graduates must be able to read analytically, write cogently, and speak persuasively.

We do this in an atmosphere that fosters fellowship and understanding among students, faculty, and the administration. With a large and diverse student body, we recognize the importance of respecting students as individuals with unique needs, goals, and challenges.

In all courses and programs, we emphasize ethics, integrity, citizenship, and awareness of global issues. Students learn to assume personal responsibility for their actions, while they develop self-reliance and a passion for life-long learning. The College guides the lives of its students by fostering creativity, leadership, and service to community and nation.

Dear Graduate,

As we welcome you to your convocation, I hope you feel the excitement and pride that comes from successfully completing a goal through hard work, self-discovery, and determination. Your degree from The University of Texas is a significant accomplishment and, today, you will be awarded a well-earned UT diploma.

At one of the top universities in the world, you studied with amazing professors, learned alongside brilliant students, and challenged yourself and others. Your diploma is a symbol of academic success, but it represents much more; it connects you to your time on the Forty Acres, while linking you to Longhorn Nation forever. Remember the friendships, the mentors, and the experiences that shaped you. Carry these memories with you as you embark on the journey ahead and rely on your ability to do great and hard things. It is your turn to change the world!

Class of 2024, your perseverance is second to none, and the entire Longhorn community compliments you on your steadfastness and tenacity. Despite all the elements outside of your control, you emerged stronger and wiser. I extend my deepest congratulations to each of you, and please know that I am proud of you!

Hook 'em Horns!

Jay C. Hartzell, President, The University of Texas at Austin

Dear Graduates,

Congratulations!

You've made it to the end. We're so proud of you. Your family and friends are so proud of you.

In the College of Liberal Arts, we pride ourselves on introducing our studetnts to the hardest and most important questions about the world and how we live in it. What is the good life? What is the structure of society? How is power attained and distributed? What is the human mind? What is language? How do people live together in a complex society? What happens when they fail to do so?

Our goal is to help equip you with the skills and knowledge you'll need to continue answering these questions as an adult. I say “continue” because your presence here at commencement means that you’ve already acquired so much knowledge and so many essential skills. You’re already quite accomplished at wrestling with the big questions.

But there is so much more to learn. So many new things to encounter and master. You will struggle. You will often fail. I can’t promise you that we’ve given you all or even most of the answers. What you’ve built here, though, is a strong foundation. You’ve proven that you can handle challenge and difficulty and complexity. You’ve proven that you can fail and grow and then succeed. You’ve proven that you can handle the real world. You can flourish in it.

I wish you the best as you continue to do so.

Ann Huff Stevens, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts

Administrative Officers 2023-2024

Ann huff stevens.

Dean, College of Liberal Arts David Bruton, Jr. Regents Chair in Liberal Arts

Steven Hoelscher

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Robert Crosnoe

Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Thursday, May 9

College of Liberal Arts

Moody Center

Friday, May 10

Gregory Gymnasium

Hogg Auditorium

Saturday, May 11

William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center Auditorium

Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 9 a.m., Gregory Gymnasium

Thomas Wiseman, Professor and Chair

PROCESSIONAL

Haiqing Xu | Associate Professor

Saroj Bhattarai | Associate Professor

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Thomas Wiseman | Department Chair, Professor

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

UT Economics, 2000

Consultant at Good Works Strategic Advisors

PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO DOCTORAL CANDIDATES

Presented by Robert Town | Graduate Studies Committee Chair, Professor

PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO MASTER'S CANDIDATES

Presented by Stephanie Houghton | MA Program Director, Associate Professor of Instruction

RECOGNITION OF ECONOMICS HONORS PROGRAM CANDIDATES

Presentation of certificates to bachelor candidates.

Presented by

Richard Murphy | Associate Professor

Gerald Oettinger | Associate Professor

CLOSING REMARKS

Recessional, economics commencement reception.

Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 11 a.m.

Bernard & Rapoport Audre (BRB) Lawn

You are cordially invited to attend the reception following the ceremony The reception will take place outside of BRB.

Tony C. Budet is a community leader, nonprofit sector investor, and trusted advisor to and advocate for mission-oriented organizations in Central Texas. He is a former long-tenured and accomplished credit union executive who seeks to boost performance through injection of strong culture, core values, and focused collaboration.

Tony earned a BA in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin. He served as President and Chief Executive office of University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) in Austin, Texas. He was honored by the National Credit Union Foundation as a 2024 Herb Wegner Award winner and was inducted into the Credit Union House and Credit Union Executives Society Halls of Fame in 2023. Currently, Tony serves as a consultant to Good Works Strategic Advisors partnering with and counseling executive directors of Central Texas nonprofits. He also serves as a Nexus committee member and mentor for the Austin Center for Faith and Work.

Friday, May 10, 2024, at 3 p.m., Hogg Auditorium

Sienna String Quartet

Student Marshal

Douglas Bruster

Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professorship in English Literature

Distinguished Teaching Professor

Grand Marshal

Elizabeth Cullingford

Jane Weinert Blumberg Chair in English

Faculty Marshal

Walter Buenger

Barbara White Stuart Centennial Professor in Texas History

Martha Newman

Chair, Department of History

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Keith Sharman

Producer, 60 Minutes

Winner of Alfred I. duPont- Columbia Awards

University of Texas at Austin, History, Class of 1998

PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL AWARDS

English and History Faculty

RECOGNITION OF DEGREE CANDIDATES

Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Chair

CELEBRATORY MUSIC

Steel Pan Ensemble

This year's commencement address will be delivered by Keith Sharman . Keith Sharman is an award-winning producer for 60 Minutes in New York. He has won two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards, the broadcast journalism equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize: the first for a 2006 investigation into a billion-dollar corruption scandal in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the second, for being part of the CBS NEWS team that covered the Newtown shootings in 2012. Keith has received twelve Emmy nominations and won his first for 60 Minutes’ coverage of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

During his 23 years at 60 Minutes / CBS NEWS, Keith has specialized in big interviews, breaking-news, economics, history, politics, sports & war. He’s produced pieces that included interviews with President Joe Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush (for an obituary of President George H.W. Bush). In 2019, he produced the first interview with Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia following the assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. In 2017, he produced Congressman Steve Scalise’s first interview during his recovery from the Congressional baseball shooting.

This past February, he was part of a 60 Minutes / CBS News team that were the first journalists to cover the U.S. Navy’s response to attacks on international commercial shipping in the vital waterways of the Red Sea.

Keith has reported stories from more than twenty-five different countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Russia & Syria. He’s also worked with some of the biggest names in broadcast news, including Ed Bradley, Anderson Cooper, Steve Kroft, Norah O’Donnell, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, and Mike Wallace.

He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two daughters.

Friday, May 10, 2024, at 8:30 a.m., Gregory Gymnasium

Professor and Chair

Elliott Morris

Editorial Director of Data Analytics, ABC News

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

Michael Anderson

Director, International Relations & Global Studies

PH.D. HOODING

Presentation of certificates to graduates.

Announced by

Bethany Albertson

Associate Professor, Department of Government

Raul Madrid

Professor, Department of Government

Elliott Morris is the Editorial Director of Data Analytics at ABC News, where he develops polling aggregation and election-forecasting models and manages the data science and visualization teams for FiveThirtyEight, a popular political analysis website. He is a regular guest on the network’s podcasts as well as its broadcast and streaming news programs, where he provides political analysis of notable events and upcoming elections.

Elliott is also the author of STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: How Polls Work and Why We Need Them, a book about public opinion polling and democracy which was published in 2022 by W. W. Norton. Elliott’s academic interests include Bayesian statistical modeling, the dynamics of public opinion during elections, why and how voters make decisions, survey sampling in eras of politically motivated nonresponse, and political theory.

From 2018 to 2023 Elliot was a Senior Data Journalist and US Correspondent for The Economist, where he covered American politics, public opinion polling, demographics, and elections — among other topics. Elliott was the lead developer of the paper’s election forecasting models, including for the US and several European and South American countries.

Elliott is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (2018), where he majored in Government and History and minored in Computer Science. He lives outside Washington, DC with his wife (also a proud longhorn), dog and two cats. When he’s not working he enjoys walks through the area’s plentiful trails and parks, reading a variety of non-fiction books and articles, and brainstorming his next book project. He is originally from Texas’s coastal bend.

Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 6 p.m., Moddy Center

Faculty Procession

Welcome remarks.

Ann Huff Stevens - Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Alumni Speaker

Pete Geren, CEO & President, Sid W. Richardson Foundation

Recognition of Dean's Distinguished Graduates

Presentation of graduates.

• African and African Diaspora Studies; Race, Indigeneity & Migration Studies; Ethnic Studies
• American Studies; Urban Studies
• Anthropology
• Asian Studies; Asian American Studies; Asian Cultures and Languages
• Classical Studies; Classical Languages
• Geographical Sciences; Geography; Environmental Sciences; Sustainability Studies
• French; French Studies; Italian Studies
• European Studies; German; Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
• Health and Society
• Human Dimensions of Organizations
• Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures; Portuguese; Spanish
• International Relations and Global Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies; Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures; Jewish Studies
• Various COLA Majors

Student Speaker

Joshua Russell, Plan II & Rhetoric & Writing

• Latin American Studies
• Linguistics
• Mexican American & Latina/o Studies
• Plan II Honors Program
• Religious Studies
• Rhetoric & Writing
• Women's & Gender Studies

Commencement Speaker

CEO & President, Sid Richardson Foundation

Geren is President and CEO of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. A native of Fort Worth, he earned his undergraduate degree in history at UT Austin and attended The University of Texas Law School. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for four consecutive terms. In 2007, Geren was confirmed as the 20th Secretary of the United States Army, a post he rose to after joining the Pentagon in September 2001.

Joshua Russell

Plan ii & rhetoric & writing.

Joshua, a Michigan-born Texan, is graduating with a degree in Plan II Honors and Rhetoric and Writing. During his time at UT, Joshua was committed to addressing disparities in higher education, advocating for the creation of safe and supportive writing spaces, and participating in and organizing events that focused on showcasing Black artistic expression. He’s performed at every Poetry on the Pond since its inception in 2021 and, in his final semester, received the “All We Can Save” Poetry Award.

Saturday, May 11, 2024, Auditorium, at 10 a.m., William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center Auditorium

Karma R. Chávez, Professor and Chair

Mary “Maggie” Rivas-Rodriguez

Professor, School of Journalism and Media

Director, Center for Mexican American Studies

Karma R. Chávez

Bobby and Sherri Patton Endowed Professor in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Chair, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Jose Reuben Parra-Cardona

Professor and Associate Dean, Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Interim Director, Latino Research Institute

Maria E. Cotera

Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Rachel V. González-Martin

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Reception to follow, hosted by the Center for Mexican American Studies.

Dr. Ruben Parra-Cardona is a Professor and Associate Dean for Global Engagement at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the Interim Director of the Latino Research Institute.

Before coming to UT, Professor Parra-Cardona was at Michigan State University where he was an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Social Science; and the associate director of the MSU Research Consortium on Gender-Based Violence. He was funded by NIMH to investigate the treatment efficacy and relevance of two versions of an evidence-based parenting intervention culturally adapted for Latino families with young children.

Professor Parra-Cardona is currently funded by NIDA to extend this line of research to Latino families with adolescent children. He is the recipient of the 2013 American Family Therapy Academy Early Career Award for his innovative work on cultural adaptation research.

Professor Parra-Cardona has a wealth of experience on research collaborations across the U.S.-Mexico border, and is currently vice-president of the Family Process Institute, a member of the board of directors of the Centro de Investigación Familiar (a leading family therapy institute in Mexico and in Latin America), and a clinical faculty member and researcher in the Instituto Regional de Estudios de la Familia (a leading family therapy institute in northern Mexico).

Professor Parra-Cardona completed his master’s and doctorate degrees at Texas Tech University and his bachelor’s degree at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), Guadalajara, México.

Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 9 a.m., Hogg Auditorium

1st Marshal:

Carol MacKay

Professor, Department of English

2nd Marshall:

Helena Woodard

Alexandra Wettlaufer

Professor of French and Comparative Literature

Director, Plan II Honors Program

Hayden W. Head Regent's Chair

Stuart Stedman Director's Chair in Plan II

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESSES

Presentation of Plan II Chad Oliver Teaching Award

Lito Elio Porto

Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Spanish and Portuguese

William Cotton Hearn, '24

Plan II Honors and Government

Heidi Boutros Gesch , '04

Born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Egypt, Heidi Boutros Gesch completed her BA in Plan II Honors and Government at the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 as a Dedman Scholar, where she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and was awarded a Truman Scholarship. She received her MPhil degree in international relations at Oxford University, where she was a Marshall Scholar and selected as a Goldman Sachs Global Leader.

She completed her JD at Yale University, where she was a Fellow of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, a merit-based fellowship exclusively for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

While still an undergraduate, Heidi wrote a country report for the UN World Conference against racism, interned with the International Justice Mission in India, worked on the Milosevic trial at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, and investigated prison conditions in Russia for the Moscow Center for Prison Reform. Her senior thesis evaluated the motives behind attacks against white farmers in post-apartheid South Africa. Before embarking on her Oxford University program, Heidi interned with the Public Defender Service of DC, investigating felonies on behalf of indigents, and later worked for the FBI, where she analyzed drug trafficking and money laundering intelligence. More recently, she has worked with USAID in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She was previously a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Public Integrity Section, where she investigated and prosecuted public corruption crimes. She is now working for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria, VA.

This year, 5 graduates in the College of Liberal Arts were designated as Dean’s Distinguished Graduates, based on high achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service to the College.

Joshua L. Crutchfield

African and African Diaspora Studies Ph.D.

Joshua L. Crutchfield is a scholar of 20th century Black freedom movements, African American women’s history, Black intellectual history, and abolition studies. He is an incoming postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University. He has extensively published and presented his research, earning fellowships, awards, and prizes, while also contributing to his discipline and campus community at The University of Texas. His research has been recognized with the Harry Ransom Center UT Fellowship, the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Women and Politics, and the Graduate Association for African American History’s Memphis State Eight Paper Prize. He has also served as managing editor of the academic blog Black Perspectives, and as internship coordinator for the “Commemorating Student Activism: Past, Present, and Future” (CSA) project.

Faith M. Deckard

Sociology Ph.D.

Faith M. Deckard is a sociology Ph.D. graduate at The University of Texas and an incoming assistant professor at UCLA. Her research examines how marginalized communities experience, navigate, and respond to institutions like the U.S. criminal justice system. Her passion for research and teaching is rooted in her lived experience. Witnessing several family members navigate the criminal justice system made her keenly aware of the relationship between individual agency and structure and influenced her perception of education as a vehicle to increase awareness of social problems and provide people with tools to develop and enact solutions. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Austin Branch of the American Association of University Women. At UT, she taught undergraduate students, prospective college students (via Summer Discovery), and women behind bars (via the Texas Prison Education Initiative), and she has served her department as Sociology Student Minority Liaison and Student Chair.

Austin German

Linguistics Ph.D.

Austin German is a Ph.D. graduate in Linguistics whose research focuses at the intersections of sign language typology, sociolinguistics, and language development. His research focuses on an emergent sign language, developed by several deaf siblings in an Indigenous community of southern Mexico. He received a BA in Linguistics and a BS in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2018. He has conducted long-term fieldwork with signers of Zinacantec Family Homesign (ZFHS), a sign language developed by three deaf siblings and their hearing extended family members in Zinacantán, an Indigenous community of southern Mexico. German has also collaborated with other scholars to produce the first ethnographic comparison of sign language socialization practices in three different Indigenous Mesoamerican communities.

Tristin Brynn Hooker

Rhetoric and Writing Ph.D.

Tristin Brynn Hooker is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. Her research examines the rhetoric of rare diseases at the intersection of clinical science, patient advocacy, and public policy. Her work has appeared in Rhetoric of Health and Medicine, Computers and Composition, and College Composition and Communication. Hooker studies the material and generative effects of rhetorical processes, the development and sustainability of institutions, and the transformative power of research and education, which sit at the vital intersection of clinical research, pharmaceutical regulation, patient- provider communication, and patient advocacy. Hooker has have served as an editorial assistant for Rhetoric Society Quarterly and as associate editor of Praxis: A Writing Center Journal. She also served as a member of the UWC’s graduate administrative team, and as assistant director of lower-division writing.

“Molly” Mary McNamara

Clinical Psychology Ph.D.

“Molly” Mary McNamara is receiving her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and is a recipient of a Harrington Dissertation Fellowship. Her research investigates cognitive mechanisms of depression, including advanced computational approaches to understanding depression. She has accepted a postdoctoral position at Harvard Medical School McLean Hospital. While at UT, she has published nine articles and has additional manuscripts in progress. McNamara was selected to supervise her peers in UT’s graduate-level practicum course, and currently supervises practicum students at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, she led a summer workshop series to fill a clinical training gap for first-year doctoral students. She was primary mentor on two honors theses and mentored several additional undergraduates who are now pursuing advanced degrees. McNamara also provided over 1,000 hours of low/no-cost therapy to the Austin community.

Undergraduate

This year, 16 graduating seniors in the College of Liberal Arts were designated as Dean's Distinguished Graduates, based on high achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service to the College.

Eddie Lee Bankston Jr.

African and African Diaspora Studies, Humanities Honors

Eddie Lee Bankston Jr. is graduating with dual majors in African and African Diaspora Studies and Humanities Honors from The University of Texas at Austin. During his time at UT, he served a leadership role in Project SEED, guiding a team of undergraduate researchers in reviewing articles on the stress experienced by bilingual children serving as cultural intermediaries for their parents. He also worked for the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis transcribing interviews on the settlement experiences of black Cubans in Miami, FL during the Civil Rights Era. Bankston is a recipient of the President’s Award for Global Learning for his investigation of racial discrimination on UK campuses while studying in London. At A New Way of Life, he wrote grants to expand their S.A.F.E housing network to Detroit, MI. While volunteering at Doug’s House in in Austin, he collaborated on a virtual scrapbook, highlighting the power of collective efforts in creating tributes amid the HIV/AIDS journey.

Megha Bhatia

Plan II Honors, Health and Society

Megha Bhatia is a Plan II Honors and Health and Society graduate. She is a mentor and coordinator for the Plan II-KIPP partnership, an Osier Lab research assistant, and a recipient of the President’s Award for Global Learning. She is passionate about challenging health inequities and advancing medical humanities as a future physician. As a leader in the undergraduate-run Osier Lab, she helped build a UT Signature Course on cultural humility in healthcare, published in a kids’ science journal, and served as onboarding officer. As program coordinator for the Plan II-KIPP partnership, she worked to connect undergraduates to young people who seek a friend to share and learn from and, in return, foster mentors’ openmindedness and self-growth. While abroad, Bhatia worked on a team building a patient-turning tool to prevent bedsores with Kenyan and UT nursing and engineering students. Through her honors thesis on the mental health of wound care nurses, she was able to contribute to the research on the subject in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mishell Magnus Ducloux

Humanities, French

Mishell Magnus Ducloux is graduating with a degree in Humanities and French. She plans on teaching English in France and pursuing either law or linguistics. As the first in her immigrant family to receive a degree in the United States, she is driven to pave the way for her younger siblings, and her move from Mexico to Austin has inspired much of her studies, research, and service. Ducloux has tutored refugee children in a local home, using her French and Spanish there, and has helped Afghan families apply for re-parole and Dreamers for DACA. Her experiences culminated in a large-scale research project that seeks ways to better serve Hispanic students and to enhance the linguistic ecology on campus. After graduating, she plan to teach English in France and then pursue a degree in either law or linguistics.

Neerul Gupta

Rhetoric and Writing, Psychology Honors

Neerul Gupta is a Dedman Distinguished Scholar and Liberal Arts Honors student, graduating with degrees in Rhetoric and Writing and Psychology Honors. While earning her degrees at UT Austin, Gupta received two fellowships at leading Texas research centers, presented at two national conferences, earned multiple awards, and published an article in Psychology Today. Gupta had initially planned to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, but instead fell in love with the storytelling aspects of psychology. Now an aspiring copywriter, she worked as a content writer for the School of Design and Creative Technologies and an editor at Spark magazine. After graduating, Gupta plans to teach English in Madrid.

Brooke E. Jordan

Brooke E. Jordan graduated with a bachelor's in Psychology and minor in Health Communication. As a peer mentor, teaching assistant, and research assistant, she completed her honors thesis examining developmental learning trajectories. Jordan worked as a uRA, piloting an experiment for an external investigator and leading a team of eight uRAs and as a senior lead PACE Mentor. She concurrently served as a TA for two courses and also worked as a COLA front desk associate. She now works at Brown University as a joint-laboratory manager of three research labs.

Noor M. Khan

International Relations & Global Studies

Noor M. Khan is graduating with degrees in International Relations & Global Studies with minors and certificates in Asian American Studies, Global Management, and Business Spanish. She loves engaging with AAPI and other minority group communities through art, social justice activism, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. An instance of Islamophobia she faced as a child led to her interest in different cultures and her academic concentrations, which provided her with vocabulary to understand her experiences and histories and the desire to help others feel seen. Academically, Khan pursued a capstone project on acculturation and served as an intercultural competency trainer. Professionally, she served as a DEI intern at Texas Instruments. She has exhibited poetry on South Asian America throughout Austin and organized events with the Center for Asian American Studies, planning its first community iftar. She looks forward to a professional focus on DEI.

Amara Kwiatkowski

Amara Kwiatkowski is graduating with a degree in Government. She has worked with the Center for Community Engagement and served as editor-inchief of Texas Orator, a multi-partisan publication, throughout her time at UT. She also served as chair in the Community Engagement Collective (CEC), leading members in organizing The Project, UT’s largest day of service, and Alternative Breaks (AB), a spring break community service trip. She completed an independent research project on voting rights and racial disparities in Austin and acted as a research apprentice on the Mapping Violence project, investigating the problematic history of elections in Texas. Kwiatkowski hopes to pursue a career as a political science researcher and professor, studying contentious politics.

Plan II Honors, Human Development & Family Sciences

Nina Mbonu is a Dedman Scholar and premedical student majoring in Plan II Honors and Human Development & Family Sciences. She has volunteered at St. David’s Medical Center and served as a TA for Plan II’s Pathways to Civic Engagement. Her time at UT has been largely inspired by her identity as a Nigerian immigrant, her passion for service-oriented leadership, and her desire to work in global pediatric medicine. As a freshman, she worked as an RA for the Origins Project, contributing to the research and development of a human fossil database and co-authoring a paper published in the Journal of Human Evolution. Mbonu is currently an RA for Project TAURUS, a study researching the impact of racial discrimination on health, where she is researching the impact of parent-child conflict on adolescent anxiety in immigrant vs. non-immigrant households. As a Student Counselor for Dell Medical School, she mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds. She also served as an intern at People’s Community Clinic and a bedtime reader at Helping Hand Home for Children.

Samuel Mills

International Relations & Global Studies, Asian Studies

Samuel Mills is graduating with dual degrees in International Relations and Global Studies and Asian Studies with a focus on modern Korean history. He has staffed conferences through Central Texas Model UN and competed on the collegiate circuit across North America. He has conducted research through an undergraduate-led think tank, Global Macro Team, and through the many hours working in archives to produce his undergraduate thesis. Mills looks forward to enrolling in graduate school with the goal of earning a Ph.D. in history and a career in academia.

Morgan Pace

Morgan Pace is graduating with a degree in Government. During her time at UT Austin, she has played on the Texas soccer team and served as president of the National Black Law Student Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and the Black President's Leadership Council. She is the recipient of the annual Sharon H Justice Leadership Scholarship. As president of the National Black Law Student Association, she has discovered that learning is a tool for empowerment. As the President of Delta Xi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, she leads a group of women in their mission to provide service to all mankind. They have broken barriers in the community for decades and Pace was honored to continue to carry this legacy. As the co-chair of the Black President's Leadership Council, Pace embraced the opportunity to guide Black leaders on campus.

Marco A. Pevia

Spanish, Linguistics

Marco A. Pevia is graduating with degrees in Spanish and Linguistics and a minor in Portuguese. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, his research focused on the impact of Heritage Spanish instruction on the linguistic and social anxieties of Heritage Spanish speakers. This research also informs his Spanish Honors thesis. As a McNair Scholar, Pevia's work interrogated the usage of Black English by Latinx speakers at his own community high school in Texas. He has received support from the Longhorn Center for Academic Equity, which has motivated his work as a mentor in the First-Gen Longhorns program. In this position, he mentored ten first-year, first-generation college students. After graduating from UT, Pevia plans to attend a Ph.D. program for Hispanic linguistics and eventually seek a tenure-track position at a research university, continuing to support heritage students.

Ingrid Piña

Humanities Honors

Ingrid Piña has received supported from the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, and the Humanities Honors Program. She researches Venezuelan migration, writes poetry, and practices videography. She serves as head chef at Pearl St. Co-op. After completing various communications internships for U.S. Department of State offices, and after studying in Mexico when the Title 42 policy was extended to Venezuelan migrants without warning, Piña conducted independent research on how migrants and U.S. federal offices communicate online. She is graduating with a degree from the Humanities Honors Program, where she designed her own course plan encompassing research and interests in the arts. Piña was accepted to the MFA Poetry program at Johns Hopkins, with full funding, and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Visual Anthropology following the MFA.

Kimia Pourebrahim

Kimia Pourebrahim is graduating with a degree in Humanities Honors with a course of study focused on Immigrant and Refugee Health. She served as a leadership member and clinical volunteer for the C.D. Doyle Free Clinic and Health Careers Mentorship Program and biked from Texas to Alaska to advocate for cancer prevention. As a future physician, Kimia is devoted to advancing accessible health education. Her experience as a first-generation Iranian immigrant in Belgium and the United States drove her passion for improving health education for refugee communities. Able to speak Farsi and engage meaningfully with Afghan culture, Pourebrahim designed and facilitated culturally adapted cancer education workshops for Afghan refugee women in Austin. Collaborating with the Livestrong Cancer Institute, she is coordinating free mammograms and pap-smears for the women she's guided for the past year. She looks forward to pursuing a career as a refugee healthcare provider.

Olivia Richert

Environmental Science, Government

Olivia Richert is graduating with degrees in Environmental Science and Government and will be attending law school in August with a passion for energy law. She is an alumna of the Archer Fellowship Program and currently works at Tesla as an energy and charging policy intern. Richert cites her impressive physical height as a source of empowerment, motivating her commitment to public service and to alleviating the gender imbalance in government. As a staunch environmentalist, her long-term goal is to assume a leadership role at a federal agency to drive systemic shifts toward a climate-friendly power grid. In preparation, she has pursued internships at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tesla.

Ritesh Soule

Ritesh Soule is graduating with a degree in History with a Pre-Health Professions certificate. At UT, he researched the history of medicine and the social determinants of health through his honors thesis and through volunteering in organizations such as Dell Med HLA, Dell Seton Medical Center, Micah 6. At Dell Med HLA, Soule helped the unhoused find resources at C.D. Doyle Clinic and track health funding in Austin in the 1960s through the Model Cities Champions group. After graduation, Ritesh will matriculate to medical school.

Cameron Waltz

Asian Studies, International Relations, Chinese, Government

Cameron Waltz is a Dedman Distinguished Scholar and an aspiring policymaker in U.S.-China relations. While at UT, Waltz took on four majors to examine the bilateral U.S.-China relationship from as many perspectives as possible. He studied abroad three times and achieved fluency in Chinese and intermediate proficiency in Korean. As an intern—and later junior fellow—at the Bush China Foundation, Waltz co-authored several reports and op-eds on U.S.-China affairs. He wrote an Asian Studies honors thesis investigating the process of Taiwanese foreign policymaking and how it might shape U.S.-China security ties in the coming decades. As an undergraduate fellow at the Clements Center, he organized UT's first Undergraduate National Security Thesis Symposium, which united students across disciplines to share their policy-relevant research. As editor-in-chief of the Intercollegiate U.S.-China Journal, he helped expand the staff from four students to 23, spread across both countries. As vice president of Liberal Arts Council, Waltz worked with Associate Dean Carter to develop best practices to protect COLA students' well-being and privacy amid online learning.

Dean's Distinguished Graduates Honorable Mention

The 2024 Dean's Distinguished Graduates Honorable Mention recipients are:

• Alexander Vu, Economics
• Chloe Brownlow, Health and Society
• Emily Lawitz, Religious Studies, Middle Eastern Studies
• Grace Ann Arulanandam, Italian Studies
• Kaya Stiffel, Psychology
• Keziah Reina, Linguistics
• Mary Michael, Sustainability Studies
• Mimi Calzada, Rhetoric and Writing
• Monica Olivo, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies
• Nathan Silverstein, Government
• Olivia Green, American Studies, History, Liberal Arts Honors
• Rachel Chen, Sociology, Psychology, Liberal Arts Honors
• Sara Apostol, Humanities
• Simon Gerst, Jewish Studies, German, Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
• Tanya Velazquez, Latin American Studies
• Zander Vasquez, Sociology, Psychology
• Zoe Alvarez, History, Government, Liberal Arts Honors
• Arianna Avalle, Italian Studies
• Andra Bailard, Comparative Literature
• Keith Padraic Chew, Government
• Ashley Garcia, History
• Emily Martin, French

Degrees and honors listed are only projections. Actual degrees conferred and honors earned will be determined after final grades are submitted.

THE CORE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSITY

To transform lives for the benefit of society

OUR CORE VALUES

A caring community, all of us students, helping one another grow

Expanding knowledge and human understanding

To seek the truth and express it

The will to excel with integrity and the spirit that nothing is impossible

INDIVIDUAL OPPORTUNITY

Many options, diverse people and ideas, one university

RESPONSIBILITY

To serve as a catalyst for positive change in Texas and beyond

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In a Poem, Just Who Is ‘the Speaker,’ Anyway?

Critics and readers love the term, but it can be awfully slippery to pin down. That’s what makes it so fun to try.

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By Elisa Gabbert

Elisa Gabbert’s collections of poetry and essays include, most recently, “Normal Distance” and the forthcoming “Any Person Is the Only Self.” Her On Poetry columns appear four times a year.

The pages of “A Little White Shadow,” by Mary Ruefle, house a lyric “I” — the ghost voice that emerges so often from what we call a poem. Yet the I belonged first to another book, a Christian text of the same name published in 1890, by Emily Malbone Morgan.

Ruefle “erased” most words of Morgan’s text with white paint, leaving what look like lines of verse on the yellowed pages: “my brain/grows weary/just thinking how to make/thought.” (My virgules are approximate — should I read all white gaps as line breaks, even if the words are in the same line of prose? Are larger gaps meant to form stanzas?)

On another page, we read (can I say Ruefle writes ?): “I was brought in contact/with the phenomenon/peculiar to/’A/shadow.’” It would be difficult to read Ruefle’s book without attributing that I to the author, to Ruefle, one way or another, although the book’s I existed long before she did.

This method of finding an I out there, already typed, to identify with, seems to me not much different from typing an I . An I on the page is abstract, symbolic, and not the same I as in speech, which in itself is not the same I as the I in the mind.

When an old friend asked me recently if I didn’t find the idea of “the speaker” to be somewhat underexamined, I was surprised by the force of the YES that rose up in me. I too had been following the critical convention of referring to whatever point of view a poem seems to generate as “the speaker” — a useful convention in that it (supposedly) prevents us from ascribing the views of the poem to its author. But in that moment I realized I feel a little fraudulent doing so. Why is that?

Perhaps because I never think of a “speaker” when writing a poem. I don’t posit some paper-doll self that I can make say things. It’s more true to say that the poem always gives my own I, my mind’s I, the magic ability to say things I wouldn’t in speech or in prose.

It’s not just that the poem, like a play or a novel, is fictive — that these genres offer plausible deniability, though they do. It’s also that formal constraints have the power to give us new thoughts. Sometimes, in order to make a line sound good, to fit the shape of the poem, I’m forced to cut a word or choose a different word, and what I thought I wanted to say gets more interesting. The poem has more surprising thoughts than I do.

“The speaker,” as a concept, makes two strong suggestions. One is that the voice of a poem is a kind of persona. In fact, when I looked for an entry on the subject in our New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (a tome if there ever was one, at 1,383 pages), I found only: “Speaker: See PERSONA.” This latter term is an “ancient distinction,” writes the scholar Fabian Gudas, between poems in the poet’s “own voice” and those in which “characters” are speaking.

But, as the entry goes on to note, 20th-century critics have questioned whether we can ever look at a poem as “the direct utterance of its author.” While persona seems too strong to apply to some first-person lyrics, the speaker implies all lyrics wear a veil of persona, at least, if not a full mask.

The second implication is that the voice is a voice — that a poem has spokenness , even just lying there silent on the page.

The question here, the one I think my friend was asking, is this: Does our use of “the speaker” as shorthand — for responsible readership, respectful acknowledgment of distance between poet and text — sort of let us off the hook? Does it give us an excuse to think less deeply than we might about degrees of persona and spokenness in any given poem?

Take Louise Glück’s “The Wild Iris,” “a book in which flowers speak,” as Glück herself described it. One flower speaks this, in “Trillium”: “I woke up ignorant in a forest;/only a moment ago, I didn’t know my voice/if one were given me/would be so full of grief.” (I find a note that I’ve stuck on this page, at some point: The flowers give permission to express .)

“Flowers don’t have voices,” James Longenbach writes, in his essay “The Spokenness of Poetry” — “but it takes a flower to remind us that poems don’t really have voices either.”

They’re more like scores for voices, maybe. A score isn’t music — it’s paper, not sound — and, as Jos Charles writes in an essay in “Personal Best: Makers on Their Poems That Matter Most,” “the written poem is often mistaken for the poem itself.” A poem, like a piece of music, she writes, “is neither its score nor any one performance,” but what is repeatable across all performances. Any reader reading a poem performs it — we channel the ghost voice.

There are poems that have almost no spokenness — such as Aram Saroyan’s “minimal poems,” which might consist of a single nonword on the page (“lighght,” most famously, but see also “morni,ng” or “Blod”). Or consider Paul Violi’s “Index,” whose first line is “Hudney, Sutej IX, X, XI, 7, 9, 25, 58, 60, 61, 64.” Is anyone speaking the page numbers?

And there are poems that have almost no persona, as in the microgenre whose speaker is a poetry instructor (see “Introduction to Poetry,” by Billy Collins).

Yet I’m not interested only in edge cases. There are so many subtle gradations of “speaker” in the middle, so much room for permission. A speaker may seem threatening, as in June Jordan’s “Poem About My Rights”: “from now on my resistance … may very well cost you your life.” A speaker may seem dishonest — Tove Ditlevsen’s first published poem was called “To My Dead Child,” addressing a stillborn infant who had in fact never existed.

Auden would say it’s hard not to “tell lies” in a poem, where “all facts and all beliefs cease to be true or false and become interesting possibilities.” So, we might say, the “speaker” is the vessel for the full range of lies that the poet is willing to tell.

“Poetry is not for personal confessions,” George Seferis wrote in a journal; “it expresses another personality that belongs to everyone.” This suggests poetry comes from some underlying self. If, by invoking “the speaker,” I avoid a conflation of the I and its author, I may also crowd the page with more figures than I need: a speaker and an author, both outside the poem. I wonder sometimes if there’s anyone there, when I’m reading. Does the speaker speak the poem? Or does the poem just speak?

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