A Rose for Emily Group

Question:

snow7039
snow7039
Student
College - Sophomore

Did Emily buy the "arsenic" before the "man's toilet set" in sequence? No matter yes or not, I need a reasonable reason.

Thanks.

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Posted by snow7039 on Wednesday October 14, 2009 at 9:05 AM and tagged with a rose for emily, sequence.

Answers:

  1. bullgatortail
    bullgatortail Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Although the time sequence jumps around so much in William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily," that it's difficult to determine with certainty, it makes since that Emily first bought the toilet set and then the arsenic. She bought the toilet set thinking that her beau, Homer Barron, was going to propose, but when that fell through, then she most likely bought the arsenic to kill the "rat." It really wouldn't have made sense for this order to be reversed, unless she bought the toiletry to use on Homer after she had killed him. After all, she spent decades with the body, and if this was her plan all along, she may have wanted him to look his best when she joined him each evening. Either way, it's food for thought.

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    Posted by bullgatortail on Wednesday October 14, 2009 at 9:17 AM