Literary Analysis of the Plot in “a Rose for Emily”

Literary Analysis of the Plot in “A Rose for Emily”

Amanda K. Barr

Galen College of Nursing

English 102

     The plot of “A Rose for Emily” is different from most short stories in that is doesn’t follow the normal order of most short stories.  William Faulkner uses flashbacks to give a better understanding of the conflict between the protagonist, Miss Emily, and the townspeople.  Faulkner uses a nonlinear plot structure (Plot Structure… (2013) in “A Rose for Emily”.  This creates a different narrative of the story by confusing the reader because the events in the story are not portrayed in chronological order.  

     The first section of the story is present time, 1931 in Jefferson, Mississippi.  It gives a recap of Miss Emilys life by the local townspeople as they are attending her funeral.  The funeral was held in Miss Emilys house which no one had seen inside of in at least ten years.  This made the whole town want to attend her funeral out of curiosity to see what the house looked like inside.

     In the second section flashback is used to describe a time some thirty years before when the townspeople where concerned about a smell coming from Miss Emilys property.  A neighbor and a man complained to the mayor regarding the smell.  This all occurred after the death of her father and the man Homer Barron, who the town thought Miss Emily would marry disappeared.    The Board of Aldermen decided instead of asking her to clean up her place to sneak over and spread lime on her property and in her cellar.  After all this the town began to pity Miss Emily, they were afraid that she had gone insane like her great aunt Wyatt who had gone completely crazy.  

     Another flashback happens in section three.  This section discusses when Miss Emily first begin to see Homer.  The town was glad Miss Emily had finally taken an interest in a man.  At first the town was not sure if Miss Emily was really seeing Homer because he was a Northerner or was she taking pity on a lower-class citizen.  As it states in the story “Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner,” (Faulkner, 1931,85) or was it “noblesse oblique” (Faulkner, 1931,85), a privileged lady being generous to a less privileged individual (Noblesse Oblige… (2017).  As this section of the story ends, Miss Emily visits the druggist to purchase poison.  She states, “I want the best you have” (Faulkner, 1931,85).  The druggist tells her that arsenic is the best and Miss Emily wants the best.  The druggist tells Miss Emily “If that’s what you want, but the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for” (Faulkner,1931,85).  Miss Emily stares him down and would not respond to his question.  The druggist just turns away and goes to prepare the arsenic.  When Tobe, her servant brings her the arsenic on the box it states, “for rats” (Faulkner,1931,85).  

     In section four it discusses the townspeople reaction to Miss Emily buying the arsenic.  They though “she will kill herself” (Faulkner,1931,85).  Many townspeople felt that it would be a good thing.  They felt that she couldn’t persuade Homer Barron to marry her.  It was known around town that Homer liked men, and liked to drink with them at the Elk Club.  Homer said he was not the marrying kind.  The ladys of the town started to think that Miss Emilys and Homers relationship was a disgrace to the town.  They insisted that the Baptist Minister go and talk to Miss Emily.  When the minister returned, he would not discuss his and Miss Emilys conversation, but he said he would never go back to her home.  The minister’s wife took it upon herself to write to Miss Emilys cousins in Alabama regarding her situation.  The cousins soon came for a long visit.  They were sure Miss Emily and Homer would get married because she had been to the stores to buy several extravagant gifts for a man.  Homer eventually leaves town; the townspeople feel it may be to prepare for Miss Emily to move with him or that he is trying to get away from Miss Emilys cousins.  About a week after Homer left Miss Emilys cousins returned home.  Within a week after the cousins departed Homer returned to town.  A neighbor saw Tobe let Homer in through the kitchen one evening.  After this Miss Emily refuses to leave her house.  She gets fat and her hair starts to turn gray.  The only people she let in her house during this time were student who she taught china-painting.  After a while the students grew up and Miss Emily had no more students.  When this happened, Miss Emily closes the door to her home for good, allowing no one into her home.  In the end of this section Miss Emily dies.  The town states “we didn’t even know she was sick” (Faulkner, 1931, 87).  They never could get any information from Tobe, he wouldn’t talk to anyone.  Miss Emily died in one of the downstairs bedrooms, in a heavy walnut bed with a curtain, her gray head propped on a pillow yellow and moldy with age and lack of sunlight (Faulkner, 1931, 87).