Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"A Rose for Emily" is a short story written by William Faulkner and published in 1930—the first of Faulkner’s stories to be published in a national magazine. The story was adapted into a film, directed and produced by Lyndon Chubbuck, in 1983. The meaning of “a rose for Emily” is open to interpretation, since the story itself makes no mention of a rose.
The story’s narrator begins by recounting when local citizen Miss Emily Grierson, widely regarded as a spinster and recluse, died. While the women of the town attend Miss Emily’s funeral to see the inside of her decrepit house, the men go out of a “respectful affection for a fallen monument.” From here, the story unfolds in a series of anecdotes that explain Miss Emily’s reputation as a local legend. The first of these anecdotes revolves around Miss Emily’s taxes. In 1894, the mayor, Colonel Sartoris, remits Miss Emily’s taxes, lying that her recently deceased father loaned money to the town. But when the next generation of aldermen is elected, they visit Miss Emily’s home to inform her that she must start paying taxes again. Emily simply repeats that Colonel Sartoris told her she has no taxes in Jefferson, and the aldermen have no choice but to give up.
The narrator then skips back in time thirty years—two years since the death of Emily's father and shortly after the disappearance of her sweetheart, Homer Barron. When the neighbors complain to the mayor, Judge Stevens, that Miss Emily’s house smells terribly, the four aldermen sneak over to her house and sprinkle lime. But as they leave, a light comes on, and they see Miss Emily in the window. While the townspeople begin to pity Miss Emily, the narrator notes that they originally resented her family, the Griersons, for being snooty; when Miss Emily turned thirty and was still unmarried, they felt "not pleased exactly, but vindicated." Still, the narrator speculates that Miss Emily refused to accept her father’s passing because she had to "cling to that which had robbed her" of a married life—he drove away her suitors.
The narrator resumes telling the story chronologically now, starting with the arrival of a construction company to pave the town’s sidewalks. Soon after, the townspeople see Homer Barron, the construction company’s gregarious foreman, driving with Miss Emily on Sundays and infer that they are an item.
Soon after, Miss Emily goes to the druggist to request "some poison." Despite the druggist’s attempts to inquire, Emily does not go into detail about how she intends to use the poison. And while the druggist sells her the poison, he implies that it should only be used to kill vermin, inscribing it with "for rats.”
Meanwhile, the women of the town begin to judge Miss Emily for spending time with Homer Barron, with no intention of marriage, calling it a "disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people." Summoned by the local minister’s wife, Miss Emily’s "kinsfolk" pay her a visit from Alabama despite a family falling-out. But the narrator describes Miss Emily’s two female cousins as “even more Grierson than Miss Emily,” and soon the town becomes Miss Emily’s allies in getting the kinfolk to leave.
Around the time that Miss Emily’s family arrives, Homer Barron disappears. Some of the townspeople figure that he’s preparing a home for them elsewhere, but after the cousins from Alabama leave, a neighbor reports seeing Homer Barron return to the house. According to the narrator, this was the last time he was ever seen.
After Homer Barron disappears, Miss Emily doesn’t leave the house for six months. At forty years old, she starts giving china-painting lessons to the town’s young girls, but the students eventually stop coming. Years pass, and Miss Emily "passes from generation to generation—dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse." When Miss Emily dies, the narrator notes, the town does not even know she was sick, since Tobe, her “Negro” manservant, does not talk to anyone; after greeting the mourners, Tobe actually disappears out the back door. As soon as Emily is buried, the townspeople force their way into a bedroom and find the rotting body of Homer Barron, his toiletries, a carefully folded suit, and—on the pillow beside his—one of Miss Emily’s “iron-gray” hairs.
Read the full study guide and analysis at gradesaver.com/short-stories-of-william-faulkner
"A Rose for Emily" is a short story written by William Faulkner and published in 1930—the first of Faulkner’s stories to be published in a national magazine. The story was adapted into a film, directed and produced by Lyndon Chubbuck, in 1983. The meaning of “a rose for Emily” is open to interpretation, since the story itself makes no mention of a rose.
The story’s narrator begins by recounting when local citizen Miss Emily Grierson, widely regarded as a spinster and recluse, died. While the women of the town attend Miss Emily’s funeral to see the inside of her decrepit house, the men go out of a “respectful affection for a fallen monument.” From here, the story unfolds in a series of anecdotes that explain Miss Emily’s reputation as a local legend. The first of these anecdotes revolves around Miss Emily’s taxes. In 1894, the mayor, Colonel Sartoris, remits Miss Emily’s taxes, lying that her recently deceased father loaned money to the town. But when the next generation of aldermen is elected, they visit Miss Emily’s home to inform her that she must start paying taxes again. Emily simply repeats that Colonel Sartoris told her she has no taxes in Jefferson, and the aldermen have no choice but to give up.
The narrator then skips back in time thirty years—two years since the death of Emily's father and shortly after the disappearance of her sweetheart, Homer Barron. When the neighbors complain to the mayor, Judge Stevens, that Miss Emily’s house smells terribly, the four aldermen sneak over to her house and sprinkle lime. But as they leave, a light comes on, and they see Miss Emily in the window. While the townspeople begin to pity Miss Emily, the narrator notes that they originally resented her family, the Griersons, for being snooty; when Miss Emily turned thirty and was still unmarried, they felt "not pleased exactly, but vindicated." Still, the narrator speculates that Miss Emily refused to accept her father’s passing because she had to "cling to that which had robbed her" of a married life—he drove away her suitors.
The narrator resumes telling the story chronologically now, starting with the arrival of a construction company to pave the town’s sidewalks. Soon after, the townspeople see Homer Barron, the construction company’s gregarious foreman, driving with Miss Emily on Sundays and infer that they are an item.
Soon after, Miss Emily goes to the druggist to request "some poison." Despite the druggist’s attempts to inquire, Emily does not go into detail about how she intends to use the poison. And while the druggist sells her the poison, he implies that it should only be used to kill vermin, inscribing it with "for rats.”
Meanwhile, the women of the town begin to judge Miss Emily for spending time with Homer Barron, with no intention of marriage, calling it a "disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people." Summoned by the local minister’s wife, Miss Emily’s "kinsfolk" pay her a visit from Alabama despite a family falling-out. But the narrator describes Miss Emily’s two female cousins as “even more Grierson than Miss Emily,” and soon the town becomes Miss Emily’s allies in getting the kinfolk to leave.
Around the time that Miss Emily’s family arrives, Homer Barron disappears. Some of the townspeople figure that he’s preparing a home for them elsewhere, but after the cousins from Alabama leave, a neighbor reports seeing Homer Barron return to the house. According to the narrator, this was the last time he was ever seen.
After Homer Barron disappears, Miss Emily doesn’t leave the house for six months. At forty years old, she starts giving china-painting lessons to the town’s young girls, but the students eventually stop coming. Years pass, and Miss Emily "passes from generation to generation—dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse." When Miss Emily dies, the narrator notes, the town does not even know she was sick, since Tobe, her “Negro” manservant, does not talk to anyone; after greeting the mourners, Tobe actually disappears out the back door. As soon as Emily is buried, the townspeople force their way into a bedroom and find the rotting body of Homer Barron, his toiletries, a carefully folded suit, and—on the pillow beside his—one of Miss Emily’s “iron-gray” hairs.
Read the full study guide and analysis at gradesaver.com/short-stories-of-william-faulkner
