Questions—“A Rose for Emily”
1. What event begins this story?
2. What did Colonel Sartoris do for Miss Emily in 1894? What prompted him to do this? How did he
justify his decision?
3. What is Miss Emily’s house like when the aldermen arrive?
4. What does Miss Emily look like?
5. When does part II of the story take place in relation to part I? In relation to the death of her father? In
relation to the desertion of her sweetheart?
6. In part II, what is the problem with Miss Emily’s house? What did the townspeople try to do about it?
7. How did Miss Emily react to her father’s death?
8. Who is Homer Barron? What is he like?
9. How does the town react to Miss Emily’s spending time with Homer Barron?
10. In part III, what does she buy from the druggist? What does she tell him is her reason for buying it?
11. What did the townspeople think of Miss Emily’s purchase of the poison?
12. What did Miss Emily order from the jeweler’s? What does the town think of this?
13. What do the townspeople think happened to Homer Barron? What did Miss Emily do?
14. How has Miss Emily changed?
15. How does Miss Emily live the rest of her life? What do the people think of her?
16. How long has the room upstairs been shut? What do they find there? What is the significance of the
gray hair on the bed?
17. What is the point of view of the story? Explain.
18. Explain the theme of change in the story.
19. Explain the theme of death in the story. How do Miss Emily and the other characters deal with death?