A Rose for Emily

Miss Emily needed arsenic to kill Homer Barron, whom she viewed as a threat to her reputation. Although she did not explicitly tell the druggist her reason, she was able to purchase the poison under...

Miss Emily buys arsenic from the druggist. She does not, as the law requires, explain to him what she plans to use it for.

In "A Rose for Emily," three clues that suggest what Emily might be hiding upstairs include her purchase of poison, the horrid smell that emanates from her property, and the fact that her hired help...

Miss Emily reacts to the druggist's inquiry about her reason for buying poison with silent defiance. When asked to specify the poison, she demands arsenic without explanation. Despite legal...