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.
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
The sexual orientation of Homer Barron in "A Rose for Emily."
Homer Barron's sexual orientation is implied to be homosexual. The townspeople speculate about his relationship with men, suggesting he is not interested in marrying Emily. However, it is never explicitly stated, leaving his orientation ambiguous and open to interpretation.
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.
In "A Rose for Emily," why weren't Emily suspected for Homer Barron's murder?
What gifts did Emily buy for Homer Barron?
Miss Emily purchases some rather intimate gifts for Homer Barron that a wife might purchase for a husband. She buys him a silver toiletry set, engraved with his initials, as well as a full set of clothing, including what he would wear to bed. These items lead people in town to believe that the couple will very soon be married if they are not already.
In "A Rose for Emily," is Homer Barron a static or a developing 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.
How do the actions and descriptions of Homer Barron and Emily Grierson support the theme of postbellum Southerners resisting modernization?
Homer Barron and Emily Grierson's actions and descriptions highlight the theme of postbellum Southerners resisting modernization. Homer, a Northerner and laborer, is viewed with suspicion and disdain by Southern society due to his background and social status. Emily embodies the old Southern aristocracy, and the townspeople's efforts to control her reflect a desire to preserve traditional values. This mistrust of Homer symbolizes broader Southern resistance to Northern influence and change.
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