A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner

In the story “ A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner the narrator introduces the reader to Emily Grierson, a sheltered southern woman who while alive struggled immensely with her sanity and the evolving world around her. Emily's father, a very prestigious man is the cause of Emily's senseless behavior. He kept her secluded from the rest of the town “We remembered all the young men her father had driven away...” (Page 3.) If Emily had been allowed to date and socialize with people her own age would she had turned out differently.

Emily Grierson, the only remaining member of the upper class Grierson family refuses to leave the past behind her even as the next generation begins to take over. Miss Emily becomes so caught up in the way things were in the old South that she refuses to pay her taxes forcing the Board of Aldermen to pay her a visit. Upon entering her home the men realize that her house is still heavily furnished with old leather furniture. Another indication that Emily is clinging to the past by refusing to throw away the furniture even though it is ragged and useless. “Page 1: They could see that the leather was cracked; and when they sat down, a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs...” Holding on to these possessions reminds Emily of the way things used to be before her father passed away. The narrator also gives the reader it's first clue that maybe Miss Emily isn't mentally stable “ Page 2: See Colonel Sartoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson.” Emily replied to the men in regards to her non paid taxes even though Colonel Sartoris had been dead for over ten years. But why did Colonel Sartoris make up the false statement that Emily's father had loaned the town money in the first place? “ Page 1: Colonel...

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...decorated for a bride. Every thing that Emily had bought that day in town ( the toilet set, the men's clothing) was found in that room along with the body of an unknown man and a strand of gray hair on the second pillow next to the body.

Was Miss Emily to blame for the death of Homer, or was it the town's fault for never interfering and trying to get her professional help? Every knew that insanity ran in her family but instead of helping her the town pitied Miss Emily and her situation grew out of hand. As a reader of this story I understand her taking Homer's life, she never had anyone to love and when she found Homer she thought he would be the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.