A Love That Kills

In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner portrays the main character Miss Emily Grierson, as a woman who suffers great loss through the deaths of loved ones. Her grotesque actions clearly imply that she is having a difficult time adjusting to change. Her obsession over a man that doesn’t want her, the mysterious events evolving around her house, and stubbornness to hold on to a past, prevent her from growing to face the changes in society.

Faulkner indeed proves his point that Miss Emily is an obsessive and controlling person willing to do whatever it takes to hold on to someone in desperation to experience love. For example, after her father’s death, Miss Emily “remembered all the young men her father had driven away,” and everyone knew she was left with no one but her servant Toby. (148-149). Obviously her father was a controlling man which caused Miss Emily to follow in his foot steps with his controlling ways. Another example would be, after they are said to be married, “Homer himself had remarked- he liked men”(216). Unwilling to accept the fact that Homer did not want to be with her, according to the town gossips Emily was said to have gone “ to the jewelers and ordered a mans toilet set in silver, with the letters H. B. on each piece “ (233-234). Knowing this helps the reader infer in her desperation, Miss Emily bought him expensive gifts in a frantic move to keep him from leaving her. Yet to the town’s dismay, as if he were never there, Homer was gone. Little did the town know, Miss Emily was in such distraught state of mind she would do anything to keep Homer. By killing Homer, Emily shows beyond a doubt that her obsession over powers her ability to control her actions.

When Emily takes a turn for the worst and murders her beloved Homer, the town does not suspect a thing, though they are curious as to what is in her house. “After her sweetheart went, [they] hardly saw her at all” other than Toby, there was sign of life in the house (85). By doing this, Faulkner leaves even the reader wondering what Miss Emily must be doing. The mysterious acts of Miss Emily are enough to leave anyone questioning especially after the disappearance of the four men she “vanquished” after seeing them sprinkle lime in her yard. Vanquishing the men again proves that Miss Emily is worried that the men have found out about Homer, and in order to keep her secret safe she must get rid of them.

Throughout the story Miss Emily portrays that she will get her way no matter the consequences. For instance, when homer tells Emily that he “[is] not a marrying man” Miss Emily poisons him in their bed, so that no matter what, they will be together forever. Another example of Miss Emily’s stubborn ways would be in 1849 when “Colonel Sartoris’ invented an involved tale… that Miss Emily’s father had loaned money to the town,” omitting her from paying taxes (24-25). Therefore when the two men for the board of alderman come to her door to demand she pay taxes, she refused and had them “vanquished” along with their fathers. After Miss Emily’s father had died, She went on for three days refusing to succumb to the fact that her father was dead. Ministers, doctors, and ladies from the town all tried to coax her in to believing her fathers death, with no prevail. Miss Emily believed her fathers death when she wanted to, not when she was told, again proving her stubborn personality.

Avis Corea once said “Closed eyes, a heart not beating, but a living love,” although Homer was dead, Miss Emily’s love lived on. Blinded by her love and obsession, stubborn Miss Emily made the ultimate decision to keep Homer in her arms forever. The curiosity of the town finally got the best of them when the mysteries of her life unfolded before them.