A Rose for Emily

A Rose For Emily

In the short story, A Rose for Emily, there are numerous contributing factors to Miss Emily's desire to kill Homer Barron. Several of the reasons were the influence of the people throughout her life, such as, her father, the women in the town, and Homer Barron himself. Miss Emily’s father had a major impact on her life even though he were dead all through the story. Emily’s father kept her from having any other male influence other than himself by chasing away any men who tried to court her. The women of the town were another factor that led to Emily’s problem. They constantly gossiped and judged every aspect of her life, and when Homer became a part of Emily’s life, they judged him as well. One other contributing factor to Homer Barron’s death is Homer Barron himself. He was a northerner who only came down South to pave the sidewalk and had a possibility of being homosexual. This resulted in him eventually leaving Emily for either reasons. Therefore, Emily’s father, the women of the town, and Homer Barron himself are the major factors that led Emily to kill her lover.

Emily lived with her father her entire life. She remained single up to his death not because she chose to, but, due to the fact that her father chased away all the men who tried to court her. (Pp. 18) He basically locked her away from any experience with love. As a result, her father ended up being the only person in her life that she would love and care for until she met Homer Barron. Emily’s loneliness throughout her life was the cause of her inability to let go the one she loves. For instance, her father was the only person she had, so when he died, she denied his death so she could hang on to him. Thus, the reason why Emily killed Homer Barron was to keep him in her life, dead or alive, because he was the only person she had left.

The second contributing factor to Homer Barron’s death was the women of the town. The women pitied Emily in many ways and they often showed it by saying, “poor Emily”. They constantly interfered in her life throughout the story and judged her for everything she did. When she met Homer, they said, “Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer.” (Pp. 19) They, then, spread

the rumor that Homer had the potentials to be gay. Once his homosexuality was