A Rose for Emily Characters

  • Miss Emily Grierson is a reclusive Southern belle harboring a gruesome secret.

  • Homer Barron was a foreman who had a brief relationship with Emily before mysteriously disappearing.
  • Emily’s father was a proud, aristocratic man who chased away his daughter’s suitors because they weren’t good enough for her.

  • Colonel Sartoris was a mayor of Jefferson and exempted Emily from paying taxes.

Characters

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Emily Grierson

Emily Grierson, whose death is recounted at the beginning of the story, was an aged Southern belle and the last surviving member of an aristocratic family living in the antebellum South. Emily’s father kept her cloistered for much of her youth. Upon the death of her father, she was left penniless and alone, an outsider with no friends and no marriage prospects. Emily was alternately pitied and scorned by the people of Jefferson. She ultimately failed to overcome her isolated upbringing and became the town eccentric.

Emily had a brief romance with a Northern day worker named Homer Barron. After their relationship ended in his apparent abandonment of her, she secluded herself entirely. After Emily’s death, and her house is investigated. What appears to have been an open secret among the townspeople is revealed: Homer’s decaying body had been kept in a bed in Emily’s house for nearly forty years. (Read extended character analysis of Emily Grierson.)

Homer Barron

Homer Barron was a Northern laborer who came to Jefferson to help pave the sidewalks. Though the younger citizens of Jefferson dismissed his status as a Northerner, they came to appreciate Homer’s charisma and sense of humor. At first, his relationship with Emily was a source of amusement and delight for the townspeople, but many objected to the match on account of the drastic difference in social status. (Read extended character analysis of Homer Barron.)

Expert Q&A

What effect does Emily's father have on her life in "A Rose for Emily"?

Emily's father dominates her and imparts to her a sense of superiority that leads others to treat her with deference.

How is Emily depicted as a monument and symbol in "A Rose for Emily"?

Emily Grierson is depicted as both a monument and symbol in "A Rose for Emily" due to her status as a relic of the old South. Described as a "fallen monument," Emily represents the traditional Southern aristocracy, characterized by her family's prominence and her own eccentricities. Her life, marked by isolation and scandal, symbolizes the decline of old Southern values. Her death signifies the end of an era, highlighting the changing social dynamics in post-Civil War Jefferson.

Emily's Father's Relationship with the Town in "A Rose for Emily"

In "A Rose for Emily," Emily's father, Mr. Grierson, had a distant and superior relationship with the town, reflecting the old Southern values. He considered himself socially above the townspeople, rejecting all potential suitors for Emily, which left her isolated. The townspeople viewed him as a controlling patriarch, a relic of a bygone era. This control extended beyond his death, influencing Emily's life and actions, including her refusal to acknowledge his death and her later behavior with Homer Barron.

Mr. Grierson

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Mr. Grierson was Emily’s overbearing father. The townspeople view the Grierson family as a “tableau”—more relics of the Old South than actual people. During Emily’s youth, her father rejected her aspirant suitors on account of their not being “good enough,” condemning her to a life of lonely spinsterhood after his death. Emily initially refused to acknowledge his death, only breaking down with grief after several days of being hounded by ministers.

The townspeople were sympathetic toward Emily’s plight. They said that she would “cling to what had robbed her” on account of having nothing else meaningful in her life. Emily never seems to fully escape Mr. Grierson’s domineering presence. A portrait of him continued to loom over the parlor after his death, a symbol of his continued control of Emily’s interactions. The same portrait is brought to her funeral, indicating that Emily is unable to escape her father’s influence even in death.

Expert Q&A

What effects did Mr. Grierson have on Emily in the story "A Rose for Emily"?

Mr. Grierson's protective nature and belief that no one was worthy of his daughter led to Emily's isolation and reclusiveness. By enforcing exclusion, he deprived her of a normal social life and the chance to marry. Even after his death, Emily continued to live a cloistered life, clinging to the isolation he instilled. His influence created a permanent habit of solitude in Emily, shaping her interactions with the community.

Colonel Sartoris

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Colonel Sartoris was the mayor of Jefferson at the time of Mr. Grierson’s death. He invented a story about a loan Mr. Grierson once gave to the city. As a kindness to the Emily, left destitute after her father’s death, Sartoris exempted her of having to pay taxes and cited the story of the loan as a justification of the exemption.

Colonel Sartoris represents traditional Southern values and codes of honor. Rather than allowing Emily, an upper-class woman, to have to work or accept charity, Sartoris devised a strategy that benefitted Emily without embarrassing her. Colonel Sartoris’s indulgence of Emily was later challenged by the younger generations of politicians, who attempted to modernize with a federal mail service. When they wanted to include Emily, she rebuffed them.

Colonel Sartoris is a recurring character in William Faulkner’s works, specifically the novel Sartoris. He is a member of the once-prominent Sartoris family, members of the old Southern aristocracy who find themselves displaced after the Civil War.

Expert Q&A

What action does Colonel Sartoris take for Miss Emily following her father's death and why?

Colonel Sartoris aids Miss Emily financially after her father's death by exempting her from paying property taxes. To spare her the embarrassment of charity, he fabricates a story that her father had loaned money to the town, which is now being repaid through tax exemption. This action allows Emily to maintain her dignity and remain in her home, while also symbolizing her clinging to the past, as she refuses to acknowledge changes in her circumstances.

In "A Rose for Emily," how does Colonel Sartoris' white lie aim to spare Emily embarrassment?

Colonel Sartoris' white lie in "A Rose for Emily" aims to spare Emily Grierson the embarrassment of her financial situation by exempting her from taxes. He concocts a story that her father had loaned money to the town, which was now being repaid through tax exemption. This reflects the chivalrous values of the Old South, where Sartoris and Emily belong, contrasting with the new generation's lack of such obligations.

Tobe

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Tobe was Emily’s “combined gardener and cook” and her only human contact for most of her later life. He served as Emily’s “manservant,” shopping at the market, escorting guests in the home, and likely caring for Emily as she aged. However, it is unlikely that they were true companions, for, as the narrator remarks that at the time of Emily’s death, Tobe’s voice is “harsh and rusty, as if from disuse.”

The townsfolk were quick to blame the smell from Emily’s house on Tobe’s poor housekeeping skills. They pestered him for details about Emily during his outings, but he refused to divulge any information. Tobe represents the remnants of oppression and slavery that still pervaded the turn-of-the-century South. There were very few employment opportunities for Black men in the antebellum South outside of labor or service, and Tobe likely stayed with Emily out of a combination of pity and a lack of better options. After Emily’s death, Tobe leaves Jefferson and never returns.

Expert Q&A

Why did Tobe stay with Emily the whole time, but then leave?

Tobe stayed with Emily due to their mutual dependency and shared isolation in a changing world. Their relationship was based on loyalty and support, with Tobe serving as Emily's confidant and protector of her privacy. Upon Emily's death, Tobe leaves to avoid being a witness to the scandal surrounding her life and death, emphasizing Emily's isolation and his lack of ties to the wider society. His departure signifies the end of their secluded world.

Analysis of Tobe's Character and Role in "A Rose for Emily"

Tobe, the servant in "A Rose for Emily," plays a crucial role in maintaining the Grierson household's secrets. His loyalty and silence about Miss Emily's actions, even after her death, underscore themes of isolation and decay. Tobe's character adds depth to the story by reflecting the Old South's values and the complexities of servitude.

Tobe's loyalty and departure in "A Rose for Emily"

Tobe’s loyalty in "A Rose for Emily" is evident through his decades of service to Emily Grierson, maintaining her household and keeping her secrets. His departure after her death signifies the end of his duty and perhaps a desire to escape the oppressive atmosphere of the Grierson home, leaving the townspeople to uncover Emily's dark secrets.

The Cousins

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The cousins were estranged relations of Emily’s. They arrived in Jefferson after the Baptist minister’s wife contacted them about Emily’s relationship with Homer Barron. Though at first, the locals welcomed them for their attempts to disrupt the romance between Homer and Emily, the cousins quickly became a nuisance to both Emily and the townsfolk.

Judge Stevens

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Judge Stevens was a member of the older generation of Southerners who still held to traditional values about social decorum and status. After some of the younger townsfolk asked him to do something about the horrible smell emanating from Emily’s house, he exasperatedly chastised them for so much as thinking to confront an aristocratic lady like Emily about “smelling bad.”

Old Lady Wyatt

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Old lady Wyatt was Emily’s great-aunt, who died prior to the events of the story. Allegedly, she was “crazy,” and the townspeople seem to believe that mental instability runs in the Grierson family.

The Baptist Minister and Wife

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

When Emily and Homer began to court in public, some of the locals felt that the unconventional pair would set a bad example for the children. They approached the Baptist minister and asked him to speak with Emily. He did so but was unsuccessful in breaking the pair up. He also refused to tell anyone how the conversation went. The minister’s wife then decided to reach out to Emily’s estranged family in Alabama in the hope that they would intervene in Emily and Homer’s relationship.

The Druggist

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The druggist supplied Emily with the arsenic that she ostensibly used to murder Homer Barron. Rather than forcing Emily to tell him what she planned to use the rat poison for, as was custom, he gave it to her unquestioningly as a show of respect, assuming that she was killing rats.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Next

Emily Grierson

Loading...