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A Rose for Emily

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"A Rose for Emily"
Short story by William Faulkner
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Southern Gothic
Publication
Publication date1930

"A Rose for Emily" is a short story by American author William Faulkner first published in the April 30, 1930 issue of Forum. This story takes place in Faulkner's fictional city, Jefferson, in his fictional county of Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. It was Faulkner's first short story published in a national magazine.

Plot summary

“A Rose for Emily” is divided into five sections.

The first section opens with a description of the Grierson house in Jefferson. The narrator mentions that over the past 25 years, Miss Emily Grierson’s home has fallen into disrepair and become “an eyesore among eyesores.” The first sentence of the story sets the tone of how the citizens of Jefferson felt about Emily: “When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to the funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old manservant–a combined gardener and cook–had seen in at least ten years.”

It is known around town that Emily Grierson has not had guests in her home for the past decade, except her black servant who runs errands for her to and from the market. Her father arranges in his will that she would never have to pay taxes; when a new city council takes over, however, they begin to tax her once again. She refuses to pay the taxes and appear before the sheriff, so the city authorities invite themselves into her house. When confronted on her tax evasion, Emily reminds them that she doesn't have to pay taxes in Jefferson and to speak to Colonel Sartoris, although he had died 10 years before.

In section two, the narrator explains that the Griersons had always been a very proud Southern family. Mr. Grierson, Emily’s father, believes no man is suitable for his daughter and doesn't allow her to date. Emily is largely dependent upon her father, and is left foundering when he dies. After Mr. Grierson's death, Emily does not allow the authorities to remove his body for three days, claiming he is still alive. Two years after her father’s death, her lover leaves her, and a strange smell starts emanating from the Grierson house.

Section three introduces Emily’s beau, Homer Barron, a foreman from the north. Homer comes to Jefferson with a crew of men to build sidewalks outside the Grierson home. After Emily and Homer are seen driving through town several times, Emily visits a druggist. There, she asks to purchase arsenic. The druggist asks what the arsenic is for since it was required of him to ask by law. Emily does not respond and coldly stares him down until he looks away and gives her the arsenic. When Emily opens the package, underneath the skull and bones sign is written, "For Rats."

Citizens of Jefferson believe that Miss Emily is going to commit suicide since Homer has not yet proposed in the beginning of section four. The townspeople contact and invite Emily's two cousins to comfort her. Shortly after their arrival, Homer leaves and then returns after the cousins leave Jefferson. After staying in Jefferson for one night, Homer is never seen again. After Homer’s disappearance, Emily begins to age, gain weight, and is rarely seen outside of her home. Soon, Miss Emily passes away.

The fifth and final section begins with Jefferson women entering the Grierson home. After they arrive, Emily's black servant leaves through the back door without saying a word. After Emily's funeral, the townspeople immediately go through her house. They come across a room on the second floor which no one had seen in 40 years, and break the door down. They discover a dusty room strangely decorated as a bridal room. The room contains a man's tie, suit and shoes, and a silver toilet set which Miss Emily had purchased for Homer years before his disappearance. Homer's remains lay on the bed, dressed in a nightshirt. Next to him is an impression of a head on a pillow where the townspeople find a single “long strand of iron-gray hair.” It is thus implied that not only had Emily killed Homer with the arsenic, but also has had an intimate relationship with his corpse up to her own death.


Analysis

Faulkner’s "A Rose For Emily" is told from the viewpoint of the town of Jefferson, Mississippi, where the Grierson family was the closest thing to true aristocracy. The story presents a powerful argument that privilege can sometimes be a prison.


To the outside world, it might have appeared that Miss Emily Grierson grew up in the lap of luxury. However, it was a lonely existence, for her father ruled Emily’s life with an iron fist, turning away every suitor the young girl had; no one was good enough for his daughter. Not surprisingly, the first thing Emily did after her father’s death was to find a companion, and a very unlikely one at that -- a Yankee day laborer named Homer Barron. She went out driving with Homer in a flashy yellow-wheeled buggy, and bought him extremely personal articles -- a silver toilet set, a nightshirt. Today our first assumption would be that he was her lover, but this was the small-town South, and another time. The townspeople assumed she had gotten married -- secretly, of course, because under the circumstances a big society wedding would be in bad taste.

For a while Emily convinced herself that the townspeople still respected her. After all, she never really intended Homer to supplant her father in the eyes of the town. He couldn’t have, because he was neither a Son of the South nor a pillar of the community; Homer’s role was simply that of a consort, filling a vacancy at Emily’s side.

It was Emily's arrogance that permitted the purchase of arsenic. This was an act of liberation from her father's restrictions.

The logical conclusion -- that Emily had murdered her lover -- could not be incorporated into the myth that the townspeople had constructed around her. It was unspeakable, so no one spoke of it.

Forty years later, after Emily died, the townspeople cautiously entered the house that few had visited since the death of Mr. Grierson, apart from those grandchildren of Colonel Sartoris' china painting lessons. There they were moved, but not really surprised, to find a decomposed skeletal body on a sumptuous bed in a locked room, and Emily’s iron-gray hair lying on the pillow beside his head. In "A Rose for Emily," Faulkner shows the tragedy that results from our adherence to social roles that constrain, rather than liberate, our true selves.

Narration

The story is narrated from a first-person plural perspective. The use of "we" in this manner suggests that the narrator is speaking on behalf of the entire town, which is in line with the cultural character of the American South.

Chronology

Faulkner's chronology is unlike that of other writers of his time. He does not tell his story in linear fashion, but rather jumbles the sequential order. This technique builds suspense for the reader as the plot unfolds bit by bit. The reader must double as detective as each piece of the puzzle is revealed throughout the story.

Adaptations

Many short films have been made by literature classes and aspiring directors.

The story was adapted for a longer length film as well in 1987 by Chubby Cinema Company, and has since been released as a 27-minute video. The cast includes Anjelica Huston, John Houseman, John Randolph, John Carradine and Jared Martin.

Bibliography

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