<P> "A Rose for Emily" is a short story by American author William Faulkner, first published in the April 30, 1930, issue of The Forum . The story takes place in Faulkner's fictional city, Jefferson, Mississippi, in the fictional southern county of Yoknapatawpha . It was Faulkner's first short story published in a national magazine . </P> <P> Faulkner described his reasoning for the title "A Rose For Emily" as an allegorical title; this woman had undergone a great tragedy, for this Faulkner pitied her . And as a salute, he handed her a rose . The word rose in the title has multiple meanings to it . The rose may be seen as Homer, interpreting the rose as a dried rose . Homer's body could be the dried rose, such as one that is pressed between the pages of a book, kept in perfect condition as Emily did with Homer's body . The "Rose" also represents secrecy . Roses have been portrayed in Greek legends as a gift of secrecy and of confidentiality, known as sub rosa, introducing that the "Rose" is a symbol of silence between the narrator and Miss Emily, the narrator keeps Emily's secrets until her death . </P> <P> The story opens with a brief first - person account of the funeral of Emily Grierson, an elderly Southern woman whose funeral is the obligation of their small town . It then proceeds in a non-linear fashion to the narrator's recollections of Emily's archaic and increasingly strange behavior throughout the years . Emily is a member of a family of the antebellum Southern aristocracy . After the Civil War, the family falls into hard times . She and her father, the last two of the clan, continue to live as if in the past; Emily's father refuses for her to marry . Her father dies when Emily is about the age of 30, which takes her by surprise . She refuses to give up his corpse, and the townspeople write it off as her grieving process . The townspeople pity Emily not only after her father's death, but also during his life when he wouldn't let Emily marry . </P> <P> After her father's death, the only person seen moving about Emily's home is a Negro man, serving as Emily's butler, going in and out with a market basket . Although Emily did not have a strong relationship with her community, she did give art lessons to young children within her town . The townspeople even referred to her as Miss Emily as a sign of the respect that they had for her . With the acceptance of her father's death, Emily somewhat revives, even changing the style of her hair and becomes friendly with Homer Barron . He is a Northern laborer who comes to town shortly after Mr. Grierson's death . The connection surprises some of the community while others are glad she is taking an interest . However, Homer claims that he is not a marrying man but, a bachelor . Emily shortly buys arsenic from a druggist in town, telling him that it will be used to kill rats . However, the townspeople are convinced that she will use it to poison herself . Emily's distant cousins are called into town by the minister's wife to supervise Miss Emily and Homer Barron . Homer leaves town for some time, reputedly to give Emily a chance to get rid of her cousins, and returns three days later after the cousins have left . Homer is never seen again . </P>

Historical time period of a rose for emily