A ROSE FOR EMILY by William Faulkner

William Faulkner ( ) Born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi Winner 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature A Southern writer All 19 novels explore a wide range of human experience as seen in the life of one community, Faulkner’s fictional Yaknopatawpha County. Local legends and gossip serve as the spark for Faulkner’s stories.

Characters Emily Grierson Emily’s father Homer Barron Colonel Sartoris The town Aldermen

Setting Place -- A southern fictional town : Yaknopatawpha County. -- A big squarish frame house with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the 70’s Time -- late 19th century -- Over 40 yrs’ span Emily’s father dies, when she is 30 To her own death, 74

Plot -- Theme Conflict Emily vs. Homer Emily vs. Her father Emily vs. The Town Emily vs. Herself “the only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict” – Faulkner’s acceptance speech, 1950

Plot: narrative voice The narrator/ the story teller -- first person plural (we / our) -- voices / view in a small southern town -- moral constraint -- gossip / rumor -- pressure

Plot: format Non-chronological / scrambled events -- chronological -- flashbacks

Major events in chronological orders Emily’s father dies (age: 30) Homer comes to town Emily’s relatives visit Emily buys arsenic Emily’s relatives are called Homer disappears The relatives leave Homer returns The house develops an odor Emily refuses to pay taxes Colonel Sartoris remits taxes from date of Emily’s father’s death (1894) Emily shuts herself in the house Aldermen visit Emily dies at the age of 74

A Rose for Emily – by the Zombies The summer is here at last The sky is overcast And no one brings a rose for Emily She watches her flowers grow While lovers come and go To give each other roses from her tree But not a rose for Emily... Emily, can't you see There's nothing you can do? There's loving everywhere But none for you... Her roses are fading now She keeps her pride somehow That's all she has protecting her from pain And as the years go by She will grow old and die The roses in her garden fade away Not one left for her grave Not a rose for Emily... Emily, can't you see There's nothing you can do? There's loving everywhere But none for you... Her roses are fading now She keeps her pride somehow That's all she has protecting her from pain And as the years go by She will grow old and die The roses in her garden fade away Not one left for her grave Not a rose for Emily...

A ROSE FOR EMILY the song