Assignment task:
Based on the Guidelines for writing about literature, what 3 pieces of advice would you give the writer who chose to write a brief analysis on a short story by William Faulkner?
Brief Analysis:
Throughout the short story, the author uses a first-person narrator to tell the story of Emily's life. The short story opens with flashbacks of her funeral and the attendance of the townspeople for the funeral. Later in the story, another flashback looks at Emily in her twenties, controlled by her father until his death. She considers her father's death a tragedy. Because of the tragedy, the mayor of the town, Colonel Sartoris, promised Miss Emily that she is no longer obligated to pay taxes ever again. However, 10 years after he died, Ms. Emily receives a visit from city authorities requesting that she pay taxes. After repeatedly refusing to pay, the new aldermen of the town offered to reconnect Emily with her aunts (although they are deemed insane), but she declined every offer. The only person that was seen entering and leaving Miss Emily's house was her servant named, Tobe, described as a "negro" man.
In this section, the author also introduced a new character by the name of Judge Stevens. He was approached by members of the town who were concerned about a "bad" smell that was coming from Miss. Emily's house.
In section three of the story, Ms. Emily fell in love with Homer Barron, a Northerner who was paving sidewalks in the South. He was described as a man who had no interest in getting married and liked to go out drinking with other men. The townspeople were appalled by the relationship between Emily and Homer. At this point, Miss Emily asked the local druggist for rat poison but gave no reasoning behind her request. Gossip started amongst the townspeople about Miss Emily wanting to commit suicide, due to the double tragedy of her father's death and Homer's rejection of the idea of marriage. When she died, a group of town ladies visit her home and are greeted by Tobe, who leaves through the back door and is never seen again. While searching the house, they found a room filled with dust, bridal decorations and a skeleton of Barron, whom she killed with the poison. One could say that her father's death foreshadowed Homer's death.