"A Rose For Emily" by William Faulkner.

A Rose or A Thorn?

In the story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, readers get an idea of a different time and place. He also portrays to us this old woman who has become a thorn in the townships side. Faulkner describes Emily as "a tradition, duty, and a care; sort of hereditary obligation upon the town" (246), but was this really just an old women unwilling to accept change?

He puts you in the scenes by giving great details of her house, neighborhood, and how she lived. He describes her house, as "It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street" (245). "It smelled of dust and disuse--- a close, dank smell. The house was furnished in heavy, leather-covered furniture" (246).

English: William Faulkner's signature

William Faulkner's Underwood Universal Portable si...

English: Emily Rose

Two men went to see Miss Emily at her home one day, and recalled as they sat down, "a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs, spinning with slow motes in the single sun-ray" (246). Faulkner continues to tell of how items in the house were tarnished, such as the gilt easel, and the gold head of her cane. The author is using our senses to pull us into the story. By going into great details about the home, sights, and smells in the home, Faulkner gives us the idea of its condition. We can use our imagination to visualize, and smell the dust about the room, as these two men come in to visit Ms. Emily.

These two men were city authorities, going to Emily's home to collect unpaid taxes. She explains to them that she owes no taxes. She tells them that...