The narrator of Faulkner’s ‘A Rose for Emily’ tells the tale of Emily Grierson. Emily lived a long and incredibly full life. She was well-known to all in the town. Emily’s mental degeneration was also revealed in the story, but the townspeople were unaware of it. Mental illness was often hidden by eccentricities in the South and tolerance for those considered high-class (Phelan, 188).
This short story begins with a description of Ms. Emily Grierson, who is a well-known woman in town. She was so popular because she has been there for such a long time. The women were curious to see inside her house which had not been seen by anyone except an old man-servant in the past ten years. She was exempted from taxes by Colonel Sartoris in 1894 after her father’s death. Although there was no official record, the newer elected officials tried to inform her that she owed taxes. First, we notice her mental illness when city officials come to collect taxes. She repeatedly says that she needs to see Colonel Sartoris. Sartoris was dead at the time. Emily does not seem to care that time has passed, since she spent years hiding in her own home.
Part two is set approximately two years following the death of Emily’s father, and shortly after her former husband abandoned her. Emily’s mental health is worsening as we can see from her rarely leaving the house. “After the death of her father, she was rarely seen outside. After her sweetheart left, there were very few people who saw Emily” (Faulkner 301). Emily’s home begins to emit a foul smell as time goes on. It was a problem that many citizens brought up. Judge Stevens refuses to accuse Emily of smelling bad. Four men sneaked onto Emily’s land at night to sprinkle lime on the property to stop the smell. Emily was able to convince the reader that she had pretended things were normal and her father’s death hadn’t happened for three full days before allowing his body to be disposed. After a while, the reader realizes it was probably not her father that caused the smell. The town did not think she had a serious mental illness. They believed her father was overprotective and drove away many men. “We knew she would be clinging to the things that had taken her away as other people do” (Faulkner 303).
Emily returns to the story in part 3 with shortened hair, which makes her seem tragic and serene. The town hired contractors for the repair of sidewalks. Homer Barron was soon a popular man in town because he brought laughter to all. He was soon seen in town riding with Emily on a buggy. Everyone was delighted to see her finally find someone who would make her happy. The older residents of the town remembered that no one came to the funeral for her father and felt sorry about Emily’s reaction to the death of her father. This shows that mental illness wasn’t something openly discussed during this period. Emily is found at the drugstore by the reader near the end.
In part 4, the people of town started to suspect Emily’s suicide, because Homer Barron – a homosexual – was seen often drinking with younger men in the Elks bar. They forced a Baptist Minister to contact Emily. Emily’s order of men’s gifts and toiletries by the jeweler had convinced the locals that a wedding would take place soon. Emily is now obese and has greyed, as she fears leaving her home. The servant was the only one who entered and exited the house. She received tax notices which were never claimed. Emily’s mind is a complete mess at this stage.
The story ends with Emily’s home being opened after ten years when only her servant was there. The servant never returned after he opened the house. He simply ran away to show that he did not want Emily to know what he was hiding. He might have also left because he was afraid of being blamed by the town for Homer Barron’s murder. Mental illness in early 1900s were taboo to women, particularly. Emily’s house had a room located above her stairs that was mysterious to the residents as it hadn’t been used in forty years. The room looked like a bride’s suite. Homer Barron was buried in the bathroom, along with his toiletries. Homer Barron remained in bed until he was rotted beyond recognition. On the pillow that was just placed on top of him, there was a gray iron hair. This is a final sign of Emily’s disease. She suffered from both delusions (delusions that she was a murderer) and agoraphobia.
After reading the story carefully, it becomes clear that the events are not out of place, but when viewed in the context of all the events, we can see Miss Emily slowly descending into a total mental breakdown.
It was easy for me to comprehend. It took me a couple of readings to get the idea. The story was about Miss Emily’s declining mental health. In my essay, I highlighted that mental diseases and degeneration in early 1900’s were ignored or feared. My thesis was revised to make it more conclusive. I want to show the reader that mental health issues weren’t always accepted in the same way they are now. Even though there are problems accepting them, the general public is more accepting than ever before.
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