Emily Grierson Essay

The object of fascination in the story. An eccentric recluse, Emily is a mysterious figure who changes from a vibrant and hopeful young girl to a cloistered and secretive old woman. Devastated and alone after her father’s death, she is an object of pity for the townspeople. After a life of having potential suitors rejected by her father, she spends time after his death with a newcomer, Homer Barron, although the chances of his marrying her decrease as the years pass. Bloated and pallid in her later years, her hair turns steel gray. She ultimately poisons Homer and seals his corpse into an upstairs room. Colonel Sartoris – A former mayor of Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris absolves Emily of any tax burden after the death of her father, which later causes consternation to succeeding generations of town leaders. Tobe – Emily’s servant. Tobe, his voice supposedly rusty from lack of use, is the only lifeline Emily has to the outside world and he cares for her and tends to her needs. After her death, he walks out the back door and never returns. Judge Stevens – A mayor of Jefferson. Eighty years old, Judge Stevens attempts to delicately handle the complaints about the smell emanating from the Grierson property. To be respectful of Emily’s pride and former position in the community, he and the aldermen decide to sprinkle lime on the property in the middle of the night. Homer Barron – A foreman from the North. Homer is a large man with a dark complexion, a booming voice, and light-colored eyes. A gruff and demanding boss, he wins many admirers in Jefferson because of his gregarious nature and good sense of humor. He develops an interest in Emily and takes her for Sunday drives in a yellow-wheeled buggy. Despite his attributes, the townspeople view him as a poor, if not scandalous, choice for a mate. He disappears in Emily’s house and decomposes in an attic bedroom after she poisons him. PART 2 1. The metaphor used to describe Emily in the first paragraph was â€Å"†¦ a fallen monument†. 2. The house is given a personality in the second paragraph in this way, â€Å"lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay†¦ â€Å". 3. Colonel Sartoris had the idea of and helped abate the taxes on the Grierson property. 4. Mailed her the tax papers. 5. Small, fat woman; short, spare skeleton, bloated and pallid; eyes like lumps of coal in dough of her face. 6. 32 years. 7. A bad smell; He explained that the smell was the result of a dead snake or rat that the servant had killed. 8. She told the ladies who called on her that he was not dead†¦ for three days. 9. Homer Barron , he runned a construction company. 10. Miss Emily Grierson’s neighbors in Jefferson were mystified with her sudden coupling with newcomer Homer Barron. They can’t believe Emily would be interested in a common â€Å"Yankee†. 11. â€Å"We learned that Miss Emily had been to the jeweler’s and ordered a man’s toilet set in silver, with the letters H. B. on each piece. Two days later we learned that she had bought a complete outfit of men’s clothing, including a nightshirt, and we said, â€Å"They are married. † We were really glad. We were glad because the two female cousins were even more Grierson than Miss Emily had ever been. † 12. He was let into Emily’s kitchen door at dusk one evening. 13. They spinkled lime because of a foul smell emanating from the house. 14. They find Homer’s corpse on the bed and they realize that the space next to him has been used, and they find one of Emily’s gray hairs on the pillow. 15. Homer Baron was murdered and on the other pillow was some grey hair from Miss Emily.