Plot & Structure
What significant event opens A Rose for Emily?
The death of Miss Emily Grierson.
Who is Homer Barron?
A Northern laborer who has a relationship with Emily.
What might the “rose” in the title symbolize?
A tribute to Miss Emily’s life or a symbol of love and secrecy.
From whose perspective is the story told?
The townspeople, using a first-person plural narrative.
What is one main theme in A Rose for Emily?
The struggle between tradition and change.
Why does Miss Emily refuse to pay taxes?
She claims that Colonel Sartoris (mayor) exempted her from paying them.
Why is the setting of Jefferson, Mississippi, around the American Civil War important to the story?
It reflects the traditional Southern values and the town’s resistance to change.
What does Miss Emily’s house represent?
The decaying traditions of the Old South.
How does the collective “we” perspective affect the reader’s understanding of Emily?
It provides insight into the town’s views and gossip about her. It alienates Emily and makes her the "other".
How is the theme of isolation shown through Emily’s life?
She rarely leaves her house and has little contact with others.
In what order are the key events in Emily’s life revealed? What type of storytelling does A Rose For Emily have?
Out of chronological order, with flashbacks and time jumps. Its called non-linear narrative/non- chronological storytelling
How does the town view Miss Emily after her father’s death?
As a tragic, pitiable figure who is stuck in the past.
Why is the strand of gray hair found on the pillow significant?
It suggests that Emily had been lying next to Homer’s corpse.
Why might Faulkner (the author) have chosen a first-person plural narrator?
To create a sense of community and collective judgment. To shun/shame Emily into being the "other".
What motif (one-worded 'theme') is used to emphasize the passage of time?
What motif is used to emphasize the passage of time?
What is the significance of Emily buying arsenic from the druggist?
It foreshadows the death of Homer Barron.
What does Tobe, Emily’s servant, symbolize in the story?
The loyalty and secrecy that surround Emily’s life.
What does the lime sprinkled around Emily’s house symbolize?
The town’s attempt to cover up the smell of death and decay.
What effect does the narrative perspective have on the story’s reliability?
It makes the narration less reliable, based on gossip and assumptions.
How does Faulkner (author) use the motif of death throughout the story?
To highlight the inevitability of change and the end of the Old South
How does the non-linear timeline affect the story’s impact on the reader?
It creates suspense and allows the shocking reveal of Homer’s fate at the end.
Why does the town initially support Emily’s relationship with Homer Barron? We're their opinion all unanimous?
They hope it will make her more like a “normal” woman and prevent her from being alone. No, the town has mixed perceptions due to her aristocratic Southern background and Homer being a Northern laborer.
How does the imagery of dust contribute to the story’s atmosphere?
It enhances the sense of decay and neglect, symbolizing the passage of time.
How does the narrator’s limited knowledge affect the story’s conclusion?
It creates a surprise ending, as the townspeople (and the reader) do not know about Homer’s fate until the final scene.
How does the story address the theme of memory and the past?
It shows how the town’s memory of Emily shapes their perception of her, even after her death.