'A Rose for Emily' came out in 1930. To some readers this horror story is the most 'gothic' that Faulkner ever wrote as a writer. But if horror is all he/she gets from the story then that person is missing the meaning of the story. 'A Rose for Emily' is told by a nameless narrator(first person) describing the life of a pathetic women, Emily representing a figure from the past. Her life is shaped by her fathers repression, in effect taking away her opportunity to love and driving her mad in the process as she tries to cling to the present.Miss Emily is unlucky by being the daughter of a dominating father. This father being proud of the Crierson name, undoubtly thinks that any young man no matter who he is, is unworthy of his daughter. These selfish beliefs and views are successful in getting rid of any young men that did try. This in turn confines Emily into the beliefs of the past and relying only on her father(mother long dead) for a family. Actually Miss Emily does possess some 'aristocratic' traits. She has great independence and dosen't go with the bureaucratic rules and regulations. This in turn gets some admiration from the people of Jefferson(the town) as it is 'digging' into the future. But then Mr. Crierson died and all she was left was the house. This event made her 'human' in the eyes of the town people now. The town turned to pity after almost having to use force to bury her father, which she clinged onto with nothing else left. The metaphor the town used was 'she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will'.Enter the 'present' in Homer Barron,a foreman from the North(a yankee). This is symbolized by the construction and the building of the streets in Jefferson. The town people were glad that now Miss Emily had a interest at her late age of 33. After a while though the town ladies thought it was a disgrace, them always being seen together all the time and not being married. In come to Cousins that were even more Crierson then Emily to talk to her. A week later they had left for back home. The day after that she bought rat poison , and two days later a neighbor saw Homer get let in by Tobe her servent. That was the last they saw of Homer. The Town had thought he just wasn't the marring type, but Emily buying poison was a foreshadow of things to come. Faulkner uses this to build suspense into the story. What she is doing is watching her past get beaten back by the new generation. Her painting pupils fell away and free postal delivery was introduced. She watched the future become inescapable to her. Then in her 70's she fell ill and died in her house. After she was put to rest the town found out how complete isolation from the community can lead to madness and murder. For up stairs in the bedroom was Homer(very skinny) and evidence that she clinged onto the present in her own way. We know this by the imagery given by the long strand of iron-gray hair(color of Emily), which the town people found next to Homer in bed....
