Emily Grierson Motive To Kill Homer Barron

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is an intriguing tale of the life and death of Emily Grierson, who ends up killing her male companion, Homer Barron. A motive is not stated by the narrator, but when read critically a motive can be found. Several Literary critics have proposed different motives of why Emily Grierson killed Homer Barron. Some say that Homer was going to jilt Emily. Although homer was the not the marrying type, there is no evidence that homer was going to leave her. Another motive was that homer was gay. This motive was taken out of context; homer enjoyed being a bachelor, drinking with the guys at the local bar. Homer filled the void left by her Father, Mr. Grierson, since Homer and Mr. Grierson were very similar character. Yet, Homer probably never intended to marry Emily right away, since he was not the marrying type. Emily could not deal with another man leaving her alone. What can also be taken into consideration was that Emily had an image and the Grierson family name to uphold. I believe that Emily Grierson's motive to kill Homer Barron is because Emily rather had been with a dead man instead of being by herself.

Mr. Grierson was from the "old south". Not much was said about him directly. An image by the narrator describes Mr. Grierson overprotecting Emily; "Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door..."(308) The Grierson were an upper class family in the town of Jefferson. He scared away any person trying to ask out Emily on a date. He prevented Emily to experience a normal life. All Mr. Grierson wanted was for Emily to stay as his housekeeper. In his critical essay, Jack Scherting uses Sigmund Freud Freudian Principal of Oedipal to describe Emily's relationship and attachment with her father. Emily's father, Mr. Grierson, compressed Emily sexual nature and in return Emily grows attach to him. So when Mr. Grierson dies, Emily rejects the idea of her father being dead. He writes that "Emily's subsequent behavior clearly shows that the death of her father was a piece of reality disavowed by her ego". (400) When the women of Jefferson go to pay respect, Emily responds by saying that "her father was not dead."(308) She of course was in denial. For three whole days, she preserved Mr. Grierson body in their home. Emily shortly after broke down after every person in town tried to persuade her to let go of Mr. Grierson's body. Scherting says that Emily simply just didn't "broke down" he explains that "Faulkner's use of the phrase "broke down" does not mean Emily consciously acknowledged the reality of her father's death...Signaled a retreat from that reality into the defenses of her own psyche. Emily regressed into her childhood." (400) In short, Emily sort of became this orphan who needed a male who resembled her father. It is not a surprise as Scherting says "...that Miss Emily's libidinal attachment to her father was soon transferred to a surrogate male". (401) That male of course was Homer Barron.

Homer Barron was a northerner foreman for a construction company who came to Jefferson to build sidewalks and roadways. Homer seemed to have been a hated person yet a popular person to gossip about. He was the center of attention "whenever you heard a lot of laughing about the square, Homer Barron would be in the center of the group."(309) He was seen around town with Emily on Sundays. This was Emily's first "relationship" after all, Emily was past her prime, she was past 30 years old and forbidden to be involved with the opposite sex due to her father. Homer was basically her first love. He was a strong male figure that filled the void left by her father, Mr. Grierson. Yet like most bachelors, Homer Barron was a guy. Homer liked to hang out with the guys and drink and such. He was not the marrying type. Homer and Mr. Grierson could be considered similar. Scherting point out that both were described to be "...strong willed men, and in separate scenes, both are described holding horsewhips."(401)

Emily Grierson represented the old south in a new era where old traditions where fading away, the last of a dying breed. The men admired her and the women talked about her. She was Jefferson's modern day celebrity in a sense. And like any other celebrity she was look at to set an example, as well as to serve as a topic of gossip. Dating Homer, a northerner, of course was not normal in the southern tradition nor would have it been pleasing to the Grierson family image. As Emily and Homer were continued to be seen in public, the gossip continued. The women of Jefferson were somewhat disgusted with their relationship. They sent the minister to guide Emily, which did not work. The next step was to call on the Grierson relatives that resided in Alabama. The Grierson family was considered the upper class of the town of Jefferson. Homer, a "Yankee" from the north, would be displeasing to the family's name. Emily and her father lived on a "select street" as Faulkner described. The Grierson's were looked down upon, almost hated for the way they thought about their status as upper

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