Love Wanted Miss Emily Grierson was somewhat of a recluse. She spent the last years of her lonely life at home all alone except for the Negro man that was her life-long servant. Her build was that of a small woman, but through the years of her grieving she had gained many pounds and she had become quite large. Miss Emily’s eyes were small and dark. Her hair was iron-gray in its color. Miss Emily Grierson’s traits were driven into her personality by the numerous events that transpired during her early years.
When Emily was younger she was quite well known and liked among many of the people. Her family lived in a tremendous mansion that was beyond beautiful. As she grew into a respectable young lady her wedding was eagerly awaited. Her father and the Colonel were the superior protectors of her as a she grew up. It seemed that no young man was fitting enough to marry the sweet Miss Emily Grierson. The deaths of her father and the Colonel led Miss Emily to a life of seclusion.
She was rarely seen in the public’s eye. The mansion began to deteriorate over the years of neglect. Sometimes the only proof of life in the decrepit old house was the leaving and return of the Negro servant, Tobe. At he age of thirty Miss Emily Grierson had still not wed.
The townspeople were positive that she would never marry. A northern construction company sent a young man by the name of Homer Barron to act as the foreman over the finishing of the towns sidewalks. The townspeople were appalled by the thought that “Miss Emily” would even consider marrying a Northerner. Soon Miss Grierson grew intensely fond of Homer Barron.
The Essay on Miss Emily Grierson Family Respect
In "A Rose for Emily", William Faulkner uses a theme common to many of his works. The changing of values and attitudes in southern society. Miss Emily was born into a family, the Grierson, that were very established in the community. She was said to be "the last Greirson" in this southern community. The family was no longer wealthy, but continued to be held in high esteem after her father died. ...
She had even gone into town and purchased the implements that would suggest she and Homer were to be married. The town soon was excited over the wonderful assumptions. Miss Emily’s fear of losing another important man in her life was far too great to let Homer leave her. She acquired a large amount o arsenic from the town store.
When Mr. Barron returned from a trip Miss Emily gave him the arsenic sending him to an eternal sleep. Now she would be able to hold her last love forever. These tragic events led to the sculpture of the reclusive and unfriendly behavior of Miss Emily.
The abandonment that she felt from the deaths of her father and the Colonel led Miss Emily to be a murderer. This act was only known by the servant, Tobe and no other. Her physical appearance was also altered by her life events. She was once a petite, attractive young woman, but with age and heartache her body grew to obesity and was quite displeasing to look at. All Miss Emily ever wanted in life was to be loved and adored by a man.
All of the men in her life left her before she was ready to say good-bye; or that is all except for Homer Barron. WORK CITED William Faulkner. “A Rose for Emily.” Literature Reading Reacting Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirshner, Stephen R.
Mandell. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997. 80-87.
