Roses are a perennial, that is, they remain dormant for a period of time before coming back to life. Yet in William FaulknerÆs (1930) short story, A Rose for Emily, the main character, Miss Emily Grierson, is a perennial prisoner in her own home. William Faulkner (1959, p. 1490) maintained that the significance of the storyÆs title relates to this concept, ôthe poor woman had no life at all. Her father kept her more of less locked up.ö In essence, Miss Emily becomes a prisoner locked within the confines of her decaying home, consigned to such an existence due a controlling father and a jilting lover.
We see that Miss EmilyÆs father was a monumentally important individual in her region, one whose power and wealth allowed him to manipulate and control the town and its officials. While Miss Emily attempts to do likewise, she is unable to withstand the impact of time on her home, her position in the community and her appearance and social nature. She is thought to be a doddering old woman when the story opens, one who lives in the past and will not accept the inevitable encroachment of modernity. As to her attitude about her taxes that are due, we are told: ôWhen the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfactionö (Faulkner, 1930, p. 484).
Like her house that ôsmelled of dust and disuse,ö Miss Emily has also changed over time (Faulkner, 1930, p. 484). She used to socialize about the time and could often be seen in the company of a ôYankee,ö one Homer Barron. Though the townsfolk think he is ôcrazyö and refer to her as ôpoor Emilyö because of her affection for a Northern day laborer, we are also told that Miss Emily remained proud and in their presence ôdemanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Griersonö (Faulkner, 1930, p. 487).
Eventually, Homer Barron appears to jilt Mi
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