A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

In this story, outward appearances

conflict in profound ways with the
inner world of the main character.
How do details reveal other
peoples perceptions of Miss Emily
and her family?

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Review:
Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces.
A resolution occurs when the struggle ends and
outcome is revealed.
Two types of conflict:
Internal occurs within the mind of the a character
who is torn by competing values or needs.
Externaloccurs between a character and an
outside force such as another person, society as a
whole, nature, or fate.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Reading strategy / Concept: Ambiguity

Intentional ambiguity occurs in a literary work
when one or more elements can be interpreted
in several ways.
To clarify ambiguity, recognize parts of the
action, characterization, or description that
the writer may have deliberately left openended, uncertain, or even inconsistent.
Then, look for details or clues in the writing
that help you make an interpretation.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Vocabulary:
Encroached: intruded
Vanquished: thoroughly defeated
Vindicated: cleared from blame
Circumvent: prevent; get around
Virulent: extremely hurtful or infections
Inextricable: unable to be separated or
freed from

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Character Connection:
Think about people you see in your
community but about whom you know little.
In Faulkners story, the townspeople know
little about Miss Emily, but they are
determined to know as much about her as
they can.
How do people form opinions of others
within a community?

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict:
Look at the description of Miss Emilys house on p.
817: It was a big, squarish frame house that had
once been white
Faulkner gives Miss Emilys house specific
attributes:
It is in a heavily lightsome architectural style.
It was once on a select street, but the
neighborhood is no longer what it was.
It is the last home on a street that is mostly a
business district now.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict: Faulkner presents an

inanimate object as having a
conflict: The traits of the house
show a conflict between what it
once was and what it has become.
The changes in her home parallel
changes in Miss Emily.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

How does literature shape or reflect

society?
An important part of living in a
society is forming opinions of people
within ones community.
Those opinions are usually based on
both first and second hand
knowledge.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Colonel Sartoris knew Miss Emily

and her personality well.
He might have cancelled her taxes
and then invented the story about a
loan.
He knew that she was too proud to
accept charity and found a way to
help her without injuring her pride.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

External Conflict:
p. 819 conversation among Miss Emily
and the officials
She thinks she does not owe taxes, while
the townspeople think she should pay
taxes like any other citizen.
(It is not an internal conflict because she is
certain to the point. She has no
conflicting ideas on the subject.)

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Characterization:
Details on p. 819 describing Miss Emilys
appearance indicate her character.
The cane indicates her age and infirmity.
Her bloated, pale, and almost grotesque
appearance indicates a lack of activity.
The description of her eyes suggests ignorance and
greed.
Faulkners description characterizes her as a lonely,
isolated person who has lost touch with the world.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

The American Experience

Two influential writers: Faulkner and Hemingway
Read the side note on p. 820. In the story, where
does Faulkner use dense, complex language, and
where does his prose seem more simple and
unadorned?
Exampleon this page, the first paragraph
(prose) is more complex when compared to the
simple dialogue between the neighbor and the
woman.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict:
p. 821 Some conflicts can be very
subtle. What is the meaning of Miss
Emilys meeting people at the door
rather than inviting them in?
She does not want to talk to them;
she is hiding something; and/or she
does not think that she needs help.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict p. 821:
What conflict arises between Miss Emily
and the town after her father dies, and
how is it resolved?
The townspeople know her father is dead
and that he should be buried. She says
that her father is not dead. After three
days, she broke down, so they quickly
bury her father.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

How is the resolution of the conflict

involving her fathers burial different
from the resolution of conflicts
reported earlier?
In this conflict, Miss Emily gives in;
in the others, she wins.
Why do you think this conflict ends
differently?

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict:
Emilys relationship with Homer
Barron is a sources of conflict
because of its scandalous nature.
He is a Yankee and a day laborer,
so he is not a proper boyfriend for
her. Although she is poor, she is
considered too good for him.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict:
What conflict, suggested by references
to noblesse oblige, do the townspeople
have with Emily?
The phrase suggests persistent conflict
between social classes. Both upper and
lower classes are expected to live up to
specific expectations, and not meeting
them creates conflict.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict:
What is the source of the conflict
between Miss Emily and the town when
she begins her relationship with Homer
Barron, and how is it resolved?
The conflict here is between Miss
Emilys behavior and what people think
that she should be doing. It is resolved
by her continuing to do as she pleases.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

The townspeople begin to refer to

Miss Emily as poor Emily because
they feel sorry for her;
they know she has very little
money;
she is not close to any of her
relatives.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Clarifying Ambiguity:
How is the druggists actions ambiguous (p.
823)? What are two possible interpretations
about why he sells the poison to Miss Emily?
If the druggist believes she wants to kill herself,
he may sell her the poison because he thinks she
would be better off dead.
He might sell her the poison because he does not
want to injure her pride and does not think she
will actually go through with the suicide attempt.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict: What conflict develops when

the town gets free mail service?
The service requires that she get a
mailbox and attach numbers to her
door, but she refuses.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict: How do this conflict (the mail

service) and its resolution reflect earlier
conflicts in the story?
Once again, she has stubbornly refused
to budge when she is in conflict with the
town, and once again they allow her to
continue without forcing her to comply
with rules that apply to the rest of the
community.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

What items does Miss Emily order

from the jeweler?
A set of silver shaving accessories,
each engraved with the letters H.
B.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Conflict / Resolution:
Is Miss Emilys death the resolution to
the conflicts in this story?
Her death resolves the external
conflicts between herself and the town,
but as Part V shows, the townspeople
continue to face their own conflicting
ideas about Miss Emily.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Critical Reading p. 827:

#1. a) What happened when the judge tried
to get Miss Emily to pay her taxes? b) What
does this incident reveal about her
relationship to the town?
a) Miss Emily says that she does not have
to pay taxes.
b) She believes she is exempt from the
towns laws.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Critical Reading p. 827:

#2. a) What had been the position of Miss Emilys
family in Jefferson while her father was alive? b)
How does her position change over time? c) What
does she seem to feel about this change?
a) The family had been a leading family in the
town. b) She is pitied and patronized because
she has fallen on hard times. c) She has
become reclusive but refuses to recognize that
her status has changed.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Critical Reading p. 827:

#3. a) What happens when Emily buys
arsenic? b) What problem do the townspeople
notice shortly after that purchase? c) What do
you think Emily did with the arsenic?
a) The druggist asks her why she needs
poison, but she refuses to tell him. b) They
notice a bad smell. c) She poisoned Homer.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Critical Reading p. 827:

#4 a) What does the story say about
Homer Barron and his relationship with
Emily? b) What probably happened to
Homer, and why?
a) The spent Sunday afternoons
together; they were dating. b) Miss
Emily probably poisoned him because he
would not marry her.

A ROSE FOR EMILY

BY WILLIAM FAULKNER PP. 817-827

Critical Reading p. 827:

#5 In what ways does this story comment on discrepancies
between societys ideas of class, privilege, and
respectability and the darker sides of human nature?
The story presents a chilling view of the dark secrets
that can hide beneath a superficial respectability and
allegiance to social conventions. One of Faulkners key
insights is that Miss Emilys reputation remains largely
unchanged during her life. The town accepts the
character she presents. Only after her death do they
discover how far from respectability her life had strayed.