Setting Analysis for "A Rose for Emily".

Jamie R. Garcia

1302

MWF 10

Setting Analysis for “A Rose for Emily”

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” has an usual way that the setting is portrayed. The story is told mostly on memories of how the narrator recalls the events that took place. Most of the setting that is described is of the house that Emily was left by her deceased father. Miss Emily sadness and loneliness from her father’s death leads her to enclose herself in a house with melancholic atmosphere.

The first part of the story begins by describing the outside of the house how it’s a square looking house that is no longer white and decorated with “cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style.” (557). The narrator also mentions how Miss Emily’s house is the only left in the neighborhood and how the “stubborn and coquettish decay” from the house is lifted from the cotton wagons and gas pumps (557).

Then the story proceeds in telling how the story begins. First by giving the basic background information on Miss Emily, like who she was in the community and her everlasting problems with the paying her taxes. Then the deputy decides to pay Miss Emily a visit to discuss the matter with her personally. As he enters her home he notices that there’s sort of melancholy ambiance to her household. The hall is dim and leads to the staircase of more darkness (557). The house smelled of “dust and disuse” (557), the furniture was covered in cracked leather and as they ...

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The narrator doesn’t mention anything about setting for the next several paragraphs. It’s not until some of the townsmen decide to break into Miss Emily’s home and try to get rid of the awful smell that has developed (558). They proceed after midnight going along the “brickwork and at the cellar openings” (559) to find the root of the smell, where they sprinkled lime.

Throughout the story Miss Emily tends to keep her front door shut. She stayed in her home most of the time, looking out one of the downstairs window, where people would see her periodically (561). Then she died alone in her home in one of the downstairs rooms, lying in walnut bed with a curtain, with a yellow pillow (562).

The end of the story describes how Miss Emily left the room in which she had poisoned Homer Barron and kept his remains. The room decorated as if for new bride, the curtains were a faded rose color; there was a dressing table with delicate crystal (592). There was also tarnished silver toiletries for a male, as well neatly folded clothes that seemed as if they had just been taken off (592).

After her father’s death she let her house go into ruins and because of her loneliness and fear to be alone lead her to poison Mr. Barron and never let him go. She was able to make him stay with her for the rest of life by killing him.