Carnice, Mariacris C.

Developmental Reading 1
BSED-English May 29, 2020

Narrative Structure

Title: A Rose for Emily

Author: William Faulkner

Setting:
Small town in the South. 
Characters:
Emily Grierson - is a mysterious figure who changes from a vibrant and
hopeful young girl to a cloistered and secretive old woman.
Mr. Grierson - Emily’s father
Homer Barron - a foreman from the North.  He takes Emily for Sunday drives
in a yellow-wheeled buggy. He disappears in Emily’s house and decomposes in
an attic bedroom after she kills him.
Judge Stevens - A mayor of Jefferson. He and the aldermen decide to sprinkle
lime on the property in the middle of the night.
Tobe - Emily’s servant. For years, he dutifully cares for her and tends to her
needs.
Colonel Sartoris -A former mayor of Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris absolves Emily
of any tax burden after the death of her father.

Conflict:
Man vs. man. This conflict occurs between Homer Barron and Miss Emily.
Because she was unable to let go of her father’s death, Emily falls in love with
Homer Barron. Homer is attracted to the male company of the town instead of
her, so in order to keep him, Emily poisons him.
Man vs. society. This occurs between the townspeople and Miss Emily.

Rising Action:
Homer Barron comes into town. He gains the affection of the town, and the
love of Miss Emily. He takes Emily for Sunday drives in a yellow-wheeled
buggy.

Climax:
Emily buys poison to kill Homer Barron.

Falling Action:
The townspeople start to smell an awful scent coming from Miss Emily’s
home. Three men sprinkled the house with lime. Homer Barron vanishes. The
upstairs rooms were locked.
Resolution:
Miss Emily died at the age of seventy-four. The townspeople discovered
Homer Barron’s body stretched on the bed in an advanced state of decay. The
onlookers then notice the indentation of a head in the pillow beside Homer’s
body and a long strand of Emily’s gray hair on the pillow.

Theme:
Death and control: After the death of her father and Homer Barron,
Emily attempts to exert control over both of them by keeping their bodies in her
home.