Student Essay on A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

Essay

"A Rose for Emily" a short story by William Faulkner begins with Miss Emily Grierson's funeral. A tale that her father loaned the town money, started by the mayor, said that no taxes was a way of repaying the loan. The new generation sent a tax slip each year to Miss Emily but it was always returned. A deputation arrived at her door to collect the taxes but when they were received by Miss Emily she said that Colonel Sartoris explained to her that she owed no taxes in Jefferson. The town people thirty years ago approached Miss Emily about a smell, but vanquished them. The smell began after her father's death and a short while after her sweetheart deserted her. After some time and many complaints the town decides to do something about the smell. The Board of Aldermen meets and agrees just taking care of it themselves. Lime was sprinkled in the cellar and in all the outbuildings to cure the smell. Miss Emily's sweetheart Homer Barron was a laborer and shortly after the two began Emily ordered arsenic. The two were seen together quite a bit and were thought to have married in private. After a few years the Negro man was only seen. When Emily died people went in the house to investigate. A locked upstairs room had men's clothing and accessories Emily had bought. On the bed lie Homer dead with and next to him an imprint of a head and one gray hair strand.