“A Rose for Emily” Notes on the story

General Information: Narrator The voice of the town (Jefferson, MS) tells readers the story.

General Information: Emily’s House Emily = house (Note the many similarities between Emily & her house). As the crumbling Grierson house is being described, think about how the town views Emily herself as a fallen monument.

General Information: Plot Plot is non-chronological Non-linear plot encourages growing pity for Emily The non-linear plot also serves to hide Emily’s crimes (just as the town does) by discouraging attention to any single event

General Information: Foreshadowing Foreshadowing = smell, lime, poison, father’s body Readers know all along that something (someone) is rotten (dead), yet the ending still has an element of shock.

General Information: Ending End of story has 2 surprises: #1: Homer is there, and #2: Emily slept with him

Making sense of the events Chronology of Events 1.Emily’s father dies 2.Col. Sartoris pays Emily’s taxes 3.Col. Sartoris dies 4.Homer arrives 5.Emily buys arsenic 6.Homer disappears 7.Smell appears 8.Aldermen try to collect taxes 9.Emily dies

Portraits of Emily: Descriptions of Emily framed in a portrait, window, or doorway

Portraits of Emily: Section I Crayon portrait with her father – tarnished gilt easel

Portraits of Emily: Section II: Small fat woman in black framed by doorway; she looks dead (something inside her has died) Miss Emily sits in window (watching sprinkling of lime)

Portraits of Emily: Section III Angel in window (short hair)

Portraits of Emily: Section IV Emily is seen in upstairs/downstairs windows

Descriptions of Emily How Emily is presented in the story: Growing sympathy makes ending more disturbing; romantic view prevents town from seeing reality; they cover her crimes.

Descriptions of Emily Tradition, duty, care Fallen monument Hereditary obligation on the town Would not accept charity Emily in denial about father’s death

Descriptions of Emily Small fat woman in black Bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water; pallid hue Eyes like coal pressed in dough; fatty ridges An idol

Descriptions of Emily Hair cut short, like a girl Angelic comparison Carried head high with Homer Thin, cold, haughty black eyes; lighthouse keeper

Descriptions of Emily Fat with iron gray hair; like the hair of an active man Dead on a heavy walnut bed

Conflicts in the story Character conflicts that drive the plot

Conflicts Emily vs. Homer –Emily is southern aristocracy, desperate for marriage –Homer is Yankee, day laborer, not marrying kind –Resolution = she kills him and keeps his body

Conflicts Emily vs. her Father –Keeps her single – chases her suitors –Possible Incest and possible insanity –Resolution = he dies, leaving her alone

Conflicts Emily vs. Town –Taxes –What is acceptable (smell, Homer) –Gossip –Is there resolution?

Conflicts Emily vs. Herself –Maintain status or marry –Takes a lover vs. religion and tradition –Murders what she loves –“Loving” Homer after death was her atonement

Old Southern Setting What makes this uniquely southern? –Influence of traditions –Negro servant –Role of clergy/relatives/women –Class considerations –Gothic elements: Old house, mysterious activities, smell, strange servant, closed rooms, dust, darkness, decay…

Symbolic elements Rose – love; gift of love; delicate; sweet smelling Iron – strong, firm, cold, inflexible Dust – overlooked, neglected, dirty, return to dust, antique Barron – barren Rat/snake – Homer is both Black – death/funeral (psychologically dead) Closed house/rooms – closed mind; isolation

Vocabulary cupolas: dome on a house, often serving as a belfry august: majestic; inspiring admiration coquettish: to act like a flirtatious woman motes: particles or specks of dust or dirt crayon: Pastels, (not crayola) pallid: pale, drained of color

Vocabulary vanquish: to conquer or subdue temerity: reckless boldness diffident: lacking self confidence; timid; shy deprecation: disapproval of tableau: striking picture or scene spraddled: to straddle or sprawl

Vocabulary vindicated: cleared from accusation; liberate; defend imperviousness: impenetrable; incapable of being impaired, injured, or influenced cabal: a small group of plotters, or their plot; subversives bier: frame or stand for a coffin jalousies: blind or window with horizontal slats

Vocabulary sibilant: hissing macabre: gruesome; grim; ghastly acrid: sharp or biting in taste or smell cuckholded: cuckhold=husband of an unfaithful wife

“…the man himself lay on the bed.” End of presentation