Homer Barron

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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.

Homer’s role in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is largely symbolic. He represents the Northern influence that began to pervade the South after the Civil War. Homer was a “big,” loud, Northern “Yankee” who rejected the idea of getting married and worked as a day laborer. His presence went against the traditions and sensibilities of the South, and his romance with Emily bordered on scandalous. Just as the younger generations were more willing to challenge Emily about her taxes, they were also more willing to accept Homer, highlighting the cultural shift happening in Jefferson and in the postwar South more broadly.

The romance between Emily and Homer acts as an allegory for the post–Civil War relationship between the North and the South. Emily represents the decaying traditions of the South, upholding the notions of aristocracy and class division. Homer represents the social mobility and revised class expectations of the North, exemplified by the Northern “carpetbaggers” who traveled to the South after the war in hopes of profiting from the South’s dilapidated infrastructure. Initially, Northern profiteers like Homer attempted to integrate. However, Homer’s lifestyle, which rejected marriage and tradition, was incompatible with Southern expectations, particularly that of courtship and marriage. The grisly end he met represents the way the Southern aristocracy desperately clung to their old traditions at the expense of modernization.

Expert Q&A

In "A Rose for Emily," is Homer Barron a static or a developing character?

Homer Barron is a static character.

Describe Homer Barron and why Emily is attracted to him.

Homer Barron is a boisterous Yankee and a day laborer, an unconventional suitor for Emily, whose father would have disapproved due to their Southern aristocratic pride. Emily's attraction to Homer stems from her desire to rebel against her father's restrictive influence and societal expectations. Homer's contrasting traits as a Northern construction foreman appeal to Emily, allowing her to assert independence and defy the genteel Southern norms, shocking the townspeople and elevating her social status.

Emily and Homer Barron's Relationship and Fate in "A Rose for Emily"

In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Emily Grierson's relationship with Homer Barron, a Northern laborer, is marked by societal disapproval and her own desperate need for companionship. Despite townsfolk's assumptions of a potential marriage, Homer is not inclined to marry. After Homer is last seen entering Emily's house, he disappears, and a foul odor emanates from her home. Upon Emily's death, Homer's decayed body is discovered in her bed, suggesting Emily poisoned him to prevent his departure.

The role and significance of Homer Barron's character and his death in "A Rose for Emily."

Homer Barron's character and death in "A Rose for Emily" symbolize the clash between the old South and the new South. His relationship with Emily represents her resistance to change and the societal expectations of the time. His death, revealed at the story's end, underscores Emily's desperation to maintain control and preserve her way of life.

The role and impact of Homer in "A Rose for Emily"

Homer Barron plays a crucial role in "A Rose for Emily" as a symbol of change and the North's influence on the South. His relationship with Emily highlights her resistance to change and societal expectations. Ultimately, his mysterious disappearance and the discovery of his corpse in Emily's house reveal her inability to let go of the past and her extreme measures to avoid abandonment.

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