"Why’d she do it?" This question is one of the most common responses to a
reading of "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. The story recounts the life of Miss
Emily, who is born into the "high and mighty Grierson" (par. 16) family. As she grows
up, her father turns away all the boys interested in Emily, and by the time he dies, she is
considered by many to be too old to marry. Into her life, however, comes Homer Barron,
a common laborer from the North. Emily's neighbors can’t believe she is interested in
such a man, so they are relieved when he seems to leave town. However, he doesn’t
leave town. In fact, Emily poisons Homer and keeps his body with her until she dies. By
looking at the portraits of Emily spread throughout the story, we can see that she kills
Homer to gain control over her life. In each portrait, the change in Emily's power status
is portrayed. When her father is alive, he has complete control; then Homer comes
along and takes over her life; finally she gains control herself by killing Homer.
Emily has no control over her life when her father is alive. This point is made
clear in the way the town remembers Emily's youth: "We had long thought of them as a
tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled
silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them
framed by the back-flung front door" (par. 25). The position of the characters in this
portrait is important: the father takes the dominant position in the “foreground,” showing
his power; Emily is a subordinate in the “background,” showing her weakness. In
addition, Mr. Grierson has "his back to her," showing a lack of concern or respect for her
wishes, and he is "clutching a horsewhip" which is an object of control. Finally, the
colors they wear indicate their status. He is "a spraddled silhouette in the foreground,"
making him a dark, powerful figure. She is "a slender figure in white," a color which
makes her appear to be even more vulnerable. Clearly, Emily has no control over her
own life when her father is alive.
When Homer comes to town, he takes over where her father leaves off, and
Emily is again shown to be powerless. The townspeople watch a moving portrait of
Emily and Homer "behind the jalousies as they passed on Sunday afternoon in the
glittering buggy…Homer Barron with his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth, reins and
whip in a yellow glove" (par. 43). The positioning is important in this portrait: Homer
holds the reins; Emily is merely a passenger, being taken wherever Homer directs the
horses. In addition, Homer holds a whip, an instrument of control, just like her father did.
Physical details are also important in the descriptions of Emily and Homer: Emily's hair is
“cut short, making her look like a girl, with a vague resemblance to those angels in
colored church windows" (par. 29). She is young and innocent and weak. Homer, on
the other hand, is a foreman, "a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice….Little boys
would follow [him] in groups " (par. 30). These descriptions clearly contrast Emily's
subdued and powerless bearing with Homer's powerful personality. Once again,
someone else is in charge of Emily's life.
3rd Body Paragraph: Emily takes control by killing Homer and keeps it throughout
her life.
As we have seen, the portraits in "A Rose for Emily" show that Emily has no
control over her life while her father and Homer are alive. She kills Homer to gain this
power. In the story, Faulkner teaches us that it's dangerous to force people into a mold.
Emily is under too much pressure from her father, the townspeople, and tradition to
behave in a certain way. When their expectations don’t fit what Emily needs from life,
she snaps, killing Homer to make herself and everyone else happy at the same time.