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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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A Rose for Emily summary
A Southern Gothic Tale on Death, Resistance to Change and Isolation
19 mins
Brief summary
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a short story about a reclusive woman in a southern town. It explores themes of isolation, tradition, and the effects of time on a community.
Table of Contents
A Rose for Emily
Summary of 5 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 5
Miss Emily’s funeral
Miss Emily Grierson was a town fixture. When she passes away, people come to her funeral out of both respect and curiosity. After all, she didn’t let anyone besides her manservant inside her house for decades.
That house was once a showplace, its street once a prime location. But over the years, the aristocracy of Jefferson slowly decayed. Now only the traces of grandeur remain.
In the old days, after Emily’s father died, the town mayor, Colonel Sartoris, made an exception for her. He said she’d never have to pay taxes on the house she’d inherited, and created some excuse about her father having loaned money to the town. Emily willingly accepted the fabrication.
But time passed, and different people came into positions of power. The new mayor didn’t see the need to honor the agreement, and sent Miss Emily a notice to pay her taxes.
When she refused, a group of aldermen paid her a visit. Miss Emily’s manservant let them into the parlor. The house was dank and dusty, and Emily appeared both overweight and wasted away – more of a corpse than a living person.
She didn’t invite anyone to sit. Instead, she stood in the parlor’s entryway and listened to the men explain their purpose. She then informed them that she didn’t have any taxes in Jefferson. Against all their protests, she showed them to the door and told them to see Colonel Sartoris. Of course, Colonel Sartoris was long dead.
ANALYSIS
William Faulkner was never bound to chronology in his writing. He used the freedom of telling a story out of order to slowly reveal the characters and the surprising truth behind the mystery of Miss Emily and her fetid house.
In this first section, there’s a lot of death imagery. Obviously, there’s the funeral itself – but when we go back to the day when the aldermen call on Emily, she’s described as bulky but with a small skeleton. Faulkner says, “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water.”
We also see glimpses of an important trait of Emily’s – difficulty adjusting to change. It’s almost as though time is fixed to those years when Colonel Sartoris was mayor. She never moved past this period; in her mind, she only answers to the colonel and doesn’t have any taxes.
A popular interpretation of Miss Emily is that she’s a metaphor for the Old South. With her inability to adapt to modern times, she simply decays and deteriorates like the structures around her. Her house is described as once having been a place of prominence – but then “garages and cotton gins” made their way in. While there’s no real reason the rise of the cotton gin should do away with a street full of beautiful houses, the description takes on a different meaning when read as a metaphor. The cotton gin represents industrialization and modernity, while Miss Emily and her house represent ideals that no longer have a place in the new world.
In the story, modern people don’t understand Emily, but they have a lingering respect for her. They’re willing to let her finish out her life in her own way. At the same time, they’re curious about what kind of life that actually is – and what’s behind her closed doors.
We know from a small, purposefully dropped detail that Emily once gave porcelain-painting lessons in her home – which indicates that she used to be a social person. This detail will come back later in the story; it’s one of Faulkner’s ways of helping us keep track of time.
At this point, we’ve addressed four different eras of Emily’s life. Starting from the most recent, they are: Emily’s funeral, the last time anyone tried to collect taxes from her, the period of teaching porcelain-painting, and the day Colonel Sartoris remitted her taxes.
The rest of the story is told with these events as landmarks to help us know where – and when – we are in the story.
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What is A Rose for Emily about?
A Rose for Emily (1930) was first published in Forum magazine. Told in a nonlinear style, it starts with the funeral of Emily, a fixture in the fictional Jefferson County. It then goes back in time to trace moments of her life, and the decline in her health and status.
A Rose for Emily Review
A Rose for Emily (1930) by William Faulkner is a captivating short story that explores the complexities of a small Southern town and its most mysterious resident, Miss Emily Grierson. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- The story's unexpected twist at the end leaves readers in awe, making it a truly unforgettable reading experience.
- Faulkner's vivid depiction of the setting and characters allows readers to immerse themselves in the world of the town and feel a part of the story.
- The exploration of themes like isolation, tradition, and societal expectations sparks thought-provoking discussions and reflections long after turning the last page.
Who should read A Rose for Emily?
- Faulkner fans
- Lovers of Southern Gothic literature
- Anyone curious to learn more about a complex classic
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A Rose for Emily FAQs
What is the main message of A Rose for Emily?
The main message of A Rose for Emily is a powerful exploration of the human psyche, emphasizing the themes of isolation, loneliness, and the consequences of obsession.
How long does it take to read A Rose for Emily?
The reading time for A Rose for Emily varies depending on the reader's pace. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is A Rose for Emily a good book? Is it worth reading?
A Rose for Emily is worth reading as it offers a captivating narrative that delves into complex human emotions and societal norms, making it both thought-provoking and engaging.
Who is the author of A Rose for Emily?
The author of A Rose for Emily is William Faulkner.
What to read after A Rose for Emily?
If you're wondering what to read next after A Rose for Emily, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
- Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars
- I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad