A Rose for Emily

A detailed Summary of A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily" is a comparison of the past to the present. Emily is a picture of the past, a monument that had "fallen" in death. The town itself is the symbol of "the next generation, with its more modern ideas." The story begins at the end of Emily's life, her funeral. The narrator, a townsperson, tells the story by connections, where one thought triggers another as opposed to a chronological viewpoint. When the narrator mentions Miss Emily as a "sort of hereditary obligation" it prompts the memory of the past when Colonel Sartoris remitted her taxes. As generations of alderman change, so do the town standards, and in attempt to collect these taxes, a dispute arises. With this difference of opinion, we get our first indication of Emily's character. Her home was dimly lit and dusty with a damp smell. She was pale and obese, "bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue." Her persona matched that of her dark house, "her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked

When the town brought in Homer Barron to do town renovations, we see a little of Emily's social side. Homer and Miss Emily were seen "on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy." Soon the town meddles in the affair and calls on Emily's relatives to intervene. Emily was raised in a high social position, "noblesse oblige" and the town thought the situation with Homer was immoral. Eventually two of her cousins came to visit her. When she had begun to see Homer, the town talked about them getting married, then about Homer not being "a marrying man." The narrator implies that Homer was gay and that the whole situation was not accepted. A historical approach with the view of cultural criticism can be seen in this story. Emily was a woman born in a time where her place in society defined who she was. She was born a noble woman, and therefore society could not accept her going below her standards a having relationship with Homer. Even though today, our society seems more accepting of differences, we still have opposition [gays, marriage outside of your ra

Some common words found in the essay are:
Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, Rose Emily, Homer Barron, William Faulkner's, rose emily, miss emily,

Approximate Word count = 718
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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A Rose for Emily

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