Student Question

What are the strengths and weaknesses of main characters in "A Rose for Emily"?

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Emily Grierson's main strength is her Southern pride and strong beliefs, which can verge on madness. Her primary weakness is her fear of loneliness, driving her to extreme actions. Colonel Sartoris's strength is his pride in his town, but his bias and prejudice are weaknesses. The Judge's respect for townspeople is both a strength and a weakness, limiting communication. The narrator shares these traits, representing the town's collective voice.

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Before I answer your question, be aware that enotes editors are limited in the length of our response. The goal in the q and a section is to provide brief answers to some of the questions most troubling readers.

There are many minor characters to these story that make up the town, such as the mayors and Homer Barron and the druggist.  These characters are mostly undeveloped.  Faulkner was trying to create a microcosm of small town life to form the atmosphere for the development of his protagonistEmily.

Emily has strength in her Southern pride.  She is scared of her father, but she worships him as well, denying his death when it does happen and refusing (out of pride) to allow the townspeople to attend to her.  She has strength in her beliefs, and some would say, madness.  Her weakness, however, is the fear of being alone.  A fear that appears...

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to drive her to murder.

For the other, shallower characters, here is a quick list of strengths and weaknesses:

- Colonel Sartoris:  pride in his town is a strength, bias and prejudice a weakness

- The Judge: respect for his townspeople is both a strength and a weakness, as it lends to helping them but prevents useful communication

- Narrator: a "character" that appears to speak for the town itself has the same strength and weakness as the two characters listed above.  Respect for others, but an overabundance of reserve that leads to a lack of useful communication.

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Describe the main characters in "A Rose for Emily."

MISS EMILY GRIERSON.  In her later years, she is described as a short, "fat woman in black" who used an ebony cane. She appeared bloated, with "haughty black eyes," and her hair eventually turned "iron-grey." In her younger days, she had sported a "slender figure," as seen in the picture with her father. After he died, she cut her hair short for a time in the style of a young girl.

EMILY'S FATHER.  There is no real description of him in the story, only the mention of the picture with his daughter in which he is portrayed in silhouette, holding a horsewhip.

HOMER BARRON.  The visiting Yankee foreman of a construction company, Homer is described as a "big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face." He loved to tell stories, enjoyed the company of men, and became very popular with those he got to know. He was often seen wearing a hat and yellow gloves and smoking a cigar.

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