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Homer's Crime In A Rose For Emily

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After reading A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, many people initially wonder why Miss Emily would murder Homer Barron. When reviewing the events of the story, it becomes apparent that she displayed symptoms, manifestations of her mental state in her behavior, of being socially inept and thus capable of this heinous crime. These symptoms are unsurprising, as her father represses her, withholding her from the public. Emily accordingly displays symptoms of this repression by evading authorities and the townspeople. Faulkner is trying to get the reader to go back and review this problem-the cause of Homer’s murder- by identifying the signs that this crime occurred and Emily’s symptoms of mental instability. Ultimately, the author seems to hope
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Faulkner’s story demonstrates totally different plot: there is an own main character, her mental disorder and its consequences for the society. In the case of Emily Grierson the problem appeared to be in the inherited disorder, as “people in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last” (Faulkner 4); and the citizens’ attitude. Miss Emily felt a pressure from people because of own origins and behavior; and these conditions finally made her to kill Homer Barron, an only potential opportunity for marriage after her father’s death. After the crime Miss Emily was not able to get rid of the body and continued to live with it until her own death. It looked like Baron became the only victim of the character’s madness here.

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Just as they were about to resort to law and force she breaks down and buried her father quickly.” (Faulkner 453) Miss Emily tries to keep her father’s body so she isn’t left lonely. She tries to keep him until the townspeople basically force her to bury him. The second reason Miss Emily may be crazy and mentally ill is because she kills Homer Baron.

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