"A Rose for Emily"

The narrator in “A Rose for Emily” is a member of the town in which Miss Emily lives, making the point of view first person. The narrator starts with the present day and how the funeral of Miss Emily has turned into a town event of sorts. This makes us wonder what events lead to that conclusion. He or she then goes on to allude to the “smell” that is coming out of Miss Emily’s house after her father had died and shortly after Homer Barron “deserts” her. This furthers our curiosity at what happened inside Miss Emily’s house and what sort of a person she was. Then the narrator goes all the way to the beginning of the story and finishes it in chronological order, helping us put together the other missing pieces. I feel that the point of view used adds to the mystery since the narrator can’t get into Miss Emily’s head nor does he or she know what is actually going on inside the house. The narrator just gives the general information and the town’s assumptions. I feel that Miss Emily was lonesome after the death of her father and wanted a new male companion. Homer might have had feelings for Miss Emily, but he had no intention of being tied down. When Miss Emily learned this she poisoned him so he would be with her forever.