A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner-Summary in chronological order

A Rose for Emily

by William Faulkner

Analyzed by Rudi Brata

The story in chronological order (Rudi Brata's opinion)

If I arrange the story of A rose for Emily in order. The story will be like this, First I start with miss Emily’s life when she is young, She is an aristocratic woman. Therefore, her father is so strict to her in choosing for her future husband. Her father wants her to have a high quality husband. Since the standard is so high, it is difficult for her to find the right man who suits to her father’s criteria. I can see this because her father say “ none of the young men are good enough for her”. When her father dies, miss Emily only get the house as an inheritance from her father with little or may be no money. It’s weird, because at that time she doesn’t accept the reality that her father has passed away. By the time the people (mostly ladies) visit her house to give help and say condolence, She tells them that her father is not dead. She keeps her father’s dead body in the house for three days. The ministers and the doctors persuade her to to let them dispose the body .Then she finally allows the people in its neighborhood to remove and burry her father’s body. Second, is when the town has just let the contracts for paving the sidewalks, and in the summer after her father’s death they begin the work. There is a foreman whose name Homer Barron, a yankee- a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face. Then, he and miss Emily get to know each other through the time, and their relationship grows to become close. And the people around them, especially ladies, start to discuss, gossip and be jealous about their relationship. They gossip about how pity Emily has become whenever she rides a small carriage around the town with Homer. But, the narrator notes that Emily is still proud with herself. Third, Emily buys a poison called an arsenic from the druggist in that town. The druggist tells Emily that she has to tell him why she buys that poison because the law orders her to do so. However, she just stares at him until the druggist moves back and takes the arsenic to be wrapped. And he writes on the box, under the skull and bones: “for rats”. Fourth, the neighborhood think that she will commit suicide by taking that poison. Because, they think that Homer has rejected her marriage proposal. They think like that, because of Homer’s reputation. He is wild and likes to hang out and get drunk in a pub or a bar with his friends. However, they still go together and are seen by the neighborhood. And the boldness of their relationship makes the ladies in town become more jealous. Then, the minister’s wife sends away for Emily’s two female cousins from Alabama in the hope that they will convince Emily either to end the affair or marry Homer. While visiting, Emily buys toilet set written Homer’s name, and also a set of men’s clothing and a night shirt. This fact, makes the town to believe that she will marry Homer. After that, Homer leaves Jefferson in order to give Emily the opportunity to get rid off her cousins away from her house. Three days after the cousins leave Homer is back to Emily house. After that, Homer is never been seen anymore. People think that he has rejected Emily and leaves her just like that. Fifth, The neighbors of Emily complain about the bad smell coming from her house. However, despite several complaints, Judge Stevens, the town’s mayor during that era, is reluctant to do anything about it. Then after midnight, four men cross miss Emily’s lawn , they break open the cellar door and sprinkle lime there in order to get rid off the bad smell. After a week or two the smell goes away. Sixth, Emily is not seen in town for almost six months. When she is finally seen on the streets of Jefferson again, She becomes fat and her hair turns gray. Her house remains closed to visitors, except for a period of six or seven years when she gives china-painting lessons. Seventh, The clash between the past and the present is evidenced by the different approaches that each generation takes concerning Miss Emily's taxes. In the past, Colonel Sartoris had remitted them for her, believing it uncivilized to remind a Southern woman to pay taxes, which Miss Emily does not do after her father dies. But the next generation, with its more modern ideas, holds her responsible for them. Miss Emily, however, returns the tax notice that the new aldermen send to her; when the young men call upon her, she tells them back by saying, "I have no taxes in Jefferson" and "See Colonel Sartoris," who has been dead for at least ten years. Finally, Miss Emily dies alone, except for black manservant, Tobe. After Tobe lets the neighborhood come into the house, he leaves them through the back door and is never seen again.  Soon after she has been buried, several of the men open the upstairs forcefully. Surprisingly, they find the room contains a man's tie, suit and shoes, and a silver toilet set which Miss Emily had purchased for Homer before his disappearance. Homer's remains lie on the bed, dressed in a nightshirt. Next to him is an impression of a head on a pillow where the townspeople find a single “long strand of iron-gray hair.” therefore, this implies that Emily has killed Homer and has lain in the bed with his corpse until her own death. And this reveals the behavior of Emily that has been hidden for a long time behind her aristocracy. 

What happens if Faulkner wrote the story in actual chronological order? (Rudi Brata's opinion)

If Faulkner wrote the story in actual chronological order, the sense or nuance will not be the same, because if we read the story in a chronological order, just like what I write above on question no. 1. It is not puzzling or easy to easy to be guessed for the ending of the story.  Especially about who kills Homer and what causes the bad smell come from her house for almost two weeks. In this case, the writer uses two literary techniques to create a smooth but puzzling  and mysterious package of the story written in jumbled chronology of events, also the narrator’s opinion emphasizing miss Emily’s main purpose, her pride as an aristocratic woman, her loneliness, and to lessen the horror of the story and the feeling of disgust about her actions.

The exposition ends in the argumentations between the past and the present is evidenced by the different approaches that each generation takes concerning Miss Emily's taxes. In the past, Colonel Sartoris had remitted them for her, believing it uncivilized to remind a Southern woman to pay taxes, which Miss Emily does not do after her father dies. But the next generation, with its more modern ideas, holds her responsible for them. Miss Emily, however, returns the tax notice that the new aldermen send to her; when the young men call upon her, she tells them back by saying, "I have no taxes in Jefferson" and "See Colonel Sartoris," who has been dead for at least ten years. And the movement toward the story’s climax begin when Emily buys a poison called an arsenic from the druggist in that town. The druggist tells Emily that she has to tell him why she buys that poison because the law orders her to do so. However, she just stares at him until the druggist moves back and takes the arsenic to be wrapped. And he writes on the box, under the skull and bones: “for rats”. The climax is Miss Emily dies alone, except for black manservant, Tobe. After Tobe lets the neighborhood come into the house, he leaves them through the back door and is never seen again. Soon after she has been buried, several of the men open the upstairs forcefully. Surprisingly, they find the room contains a man's tie, suit and shoes, and a silver toilet set which Miss Emily had purchased for Homer before his disappearance. Homer's remains lie on the bed, dressed in a nightshirt. Next to him is an impression of a head on a pillow where the townspeople find a single “long strand of iron-gray hair.” therefore, this implies that Emily has killed Homer and has lain in the bed with his corpse until her own death.

The resolution begins after Tobe lets the neighborhood come into the house, he leaves them through the back door and is never seen again.  Soon after is buried, several of the men open the upstairs forcefully. Surprisingly, they find the room contains a man's tie, suit and shoes, and a silver toilet set which Miss Emily had purchased for Homer before his disappearance. Homer's remains lie on the bed, dressed in a nightshirt. Next to him is an impression of a head on a pillow where the townspeople find a single “long strand of iron-gray hair.” therefore, this implies that Emily has killed Homer and has lain in the bed with his corpse until her own death. And this reveals the behavior of Emily that has been hidden for a long time behind her aristocratic status.

The characters (Rudi Brata's opinion)

In my opinion, the antagonist are: First, Emily's Father, he plays an important role in the development of her character. Because, He teaches her how to behave and position herself as an aristocratic woman. As a result, She becomes a aloof person and is difficult to mingle or socialize with other people. Second, Homer Barron. He is a bold and wild man. And, Emily likes  and wants him to be her boy friend and may be more than that. But, since it’s difficult to be her life  time lover then she kills him and be with his dead body for the rest of her life. Third,  The people surrounding miss Emily’s neighborhood, Because they not only always discuss, gossip, mind of miss Emily’s business but they also sometimes are helpful. For instance, help burry Emily’s and her father dead body.  

The character of Emily is that she’s an aristocratic person who is Aloof and secretive because she likes to be alone and doesn’t like anybody to know about her private life, she is also necrophilia or  A person who has an erotic or sexual attraction to corpses because she sleeps with her boy friend’s corpse for pleasure, she is evil, mean, intolerant, secular because she dares to kill a man for her pleasure and she is also keeps her father’s dead body in her house for three days.

The actual conflict that I can find in the story is between Miss Emily and reality. Reality demands that taxes be paid, she doesn’t want to burry her her father’s dead body right away. And the worst is that she keeps her Homer’s dead body in her house, Her high expectation to be respected by the society as an aristocratic women ,and I think she is not a religious person,  those are the accumulation of her bad personality and her disappointments in her life, but Miss Emily doesn’t want to fight against them in order to be a better person.

The essential point that I can find from the story is that we have to be realistic in our life. We don’t have to kill someone on order to posses him or her because it’s against the religion, the law , aesthetics, and ethics. And if we have have the mind just like Emily has, we have to fight against it. We have to seek the help through religion, family or psychologist. 

The Wicker Husband-The analysis of the characters

 by Ursula Wills-Jones
                                                                         retold by Rudi Brata
The analysis of the characters

I begin the analyzing from the characters of the ugly girl. In my opinion, even though she is not beautiful, she is a kind-hearted person. I can see this personality from her attitude in the story that she never complains about her life, she never spreads some unimportant gossips to other people in the neighborhood, she is never jealous and envy to other people. She also enjoys her marriage life even though her her neighbors almost always spread the bad gossip about her. 

Then I continue with the wicker husband. He is a good, romantic, devoted, helpful, faithful, honest, loving and obedient husband to his wife. I can judge those personality traits from his special treatment to his wife. For examples, I start from the first night of their marriage, The wicker husband says to his wife: ‘ This bed is broken. Bring me a chisel: I will fix it.’  Then he fixes that broken bed just like a good husband. This means that he is so handy, and helpful to his wife. After that, at the end of the day after the ugly girl comes home from work, the wicker husband looks at her nicely and say: ‘I was made to be with you.’ This reflects that he is a sweet and romantic guy.

Next, I characterize the basket-maker. I think he is a creative, artistic, punctual and nice person. Because he can create something made by wood or wicker creatively and artistically. He also can finish the order on time. And he treats his customers nicely.

After that, I describe the blacksmith’s wife. She often minds other people’s business and she is also envious. I judge this from the story that she is the boldest in the wedding party. when the music pauses she goes towards the couple. Then she listens the wicker husband say ‘you are the only reason that I live and breathe’ to his wife. Then, she tells about this to the neighborhood. So, this makes other people especially  women become envious and jealous.

Then, the butcher is so ambitious. Because he gives everything he has in order to get the wicker lady. He is also mean to his wife. I can see this because when he wants to meet the wicker woman he locks his wife in the coal cellar. I think, he does this to his wife in order to be free from his wife’s interruptions or disturbances when meeting and getting the wicker lady.

The Wicker Husband -The Plot of the Story

by Ursula Wills-Jones
                                                                            retold by Rudi Brata (summary)
The Plot of the Story

To my point of view, the plot that flows in the story is completely foreshadowing because after reading the whole story, I can see that it begins with the exposition by telling the physical features and the characteristics of the main character in that story. The author doesn’t write the name of the main character instead the author just writes about her physical features that she is ugly, short and fat. She has legs that one of them is  a little bit shorter so that she doesn’t walks smoothly, and she has eyebrows that meet in the middle. Then the author describes that she works as fish gutter or someone who takes out the intestines and other internal organs of fish before cooking it to earn some money. Because of her job, her hands smells fish and her dress is covered in scales. She doesn’t have parents, brothers and sisters. or any friends. She lives in a bad condition house which is located on the outskirts of the village. But one thing for sure, is that she is happy for what she has, therefore she never complains about her life. Then, one by one, the girls in that village get married with the local young men. At the weddings, the ugly girl always stands at the back of the church, smelling slightly of brine.  The women in that village also gossip about the ugly girl. They wonder about what she does with the money that she has earned because they rarely see that the ugly girl spends her money. Actually, she spends her money to pay the famous old basket-maker to make a wicker husband for her. And she pays for six gold coins to the old basket-maker in order to make a wicker husband for her.

The raising action in the story starts when the villagers begin to notice a change in the ugly girl’s life after getting married with the wicker husband over the weeks. For examples, if one of her legs is still shorter than the other, her hips move with a swing that doesn’t pleased them. If she still smells funny, she sings while she guts the fish. She buys a new frock and wears flowers on the hair. Her eyebrows are no longer meet in the middle because the wicker husband has pulled them cut with his strong, withy fingers. The villagers also see her house has been repainted, the window sparkle and the door is fixed.  These changes make the village become jealous. Because the women the village demand their husbands help and obey to the wives just like the wicker husband does to his wife. And the husbands are annoyed by their wives expectations. Because of it, they blame each other. But secretly, in their hearts, they blame the ugly girl and her husband. However, the ugly girl doesn’t realize all of the jealousy because she is busy enjoying her marriage life.

The climax in the story happens when one day at night, the wives and husbands of the village all agree - for once - that something drastic must be done. Then a few days later, the villagers come to the famous old basket-maker in order to ask him to make a baby made by wicker. And they pay a bag of gold to the old basket-maker for doing it. Then, on a dusky day in autumn, the ugly girl is sitting by the fire, when there is a knock on the door. The wicker husband opens it. Outside, stand the villagers. The tailor’s wife carries a bundle in her arms, and the bundle contains a baby made of wicker.  Later, they blame the wicker husband that he has done adultery with other women and the result or proof is the baby. Unfortunately, The ugly girl just believes to what the villager say. Therefore, She is angry to her husband very much. She throws a lamp and flings it straight at her husband. The wicker husband gets burned and finally he runs away to the river to save his life and put out the fire. However, After this happening, the villagers leave the ugly girl alone just like that. Because they think that their evil mission is done successfully.

The resolution is when The basket-maker gives an announcement to the villagers that he wants to retire from his job. He tells them that he wants to make his masterwork that is a woman made of wicker before he is retired. Then he tells them that if they want to have her, they must bring him a gift for his retirement. Whoever brings the best gift can have the wicker woman, said the old basket-maker. When the day comes, the old basket-maker comes to town. And the villagers bring their gifts. The tailor brings a luxurious coat, the miller brings twelve sacks of grains, the baker makes the most extravagant cake, the carpenter brings a table and chairs, the carter gives a strong horse, the blacksmith’s wife gives a big size cheese, the tailor’s wife gives a bag of gold, then the butcher brings the best and the most outstanding ones, he brings two oxen, four cows and a dozen sheep. And finally, the prize goes to the butcher. However, other gifts are non returnable. Therefore, the old basket-maker keeps all the gifts with him. But when the butcher sees the wicker lady, he was surprised and shocked. Because the wicker lady is short of stature and twisted of limb, her face is dark and rough. And the worst is that from head to foot, she is covered with thorns. As the result, the butcher and other villagers feel betrayed. Because they expect to get the good wicker lady as good as the wicker husband. So they are angry to the old basket-maker. Then they chase him into his house in the dark of night until dawn. But unfortunately, when the villagers arrive at his house, the old basket-maker, the wicker husband, the ugly girl and the baby, as well as the villagers gifts, have already gone.