Because for so long Miss Emily was respected as a “lady” who “carried her head high enough”, many of her thorns and flaws go unnoticed (158,160). Faulkner supplies numerous suggestions as to Miss Emily’s “skeleton in the closet”, distasteful personality and decaying mental health but the townspeople for decades are unable to correctly interpret any of these hints. The townspeople twice even come so close to uncovering Miss Emily’s secrets when they find themselves inside her home. Emily acts in a guilty, nervous demeanor both times and quickly dismisses the men, “[vanquishing] them, horse and foot” before they can sit, become suspicious, or find Homer Barron upstairs (157). Jefferson’s rose color vision of Emily as soft and lady like keeps the townspeople blind to the horrors within her attic. Miss Emily’s idolization of the past complicates the future and leads to Barron’s murder. When her father dies, Miss Emily is finally able to “[clutch her] horsewhip” and control her personal life (159). However, when her new lover does not treat her how she is accustomed, she takes matters into her own hands. Emily kills him for trying to leaving her, similar to how a slave master might punish or kill a slave for trying to run away. Had the druggist dared to question Miss Emily more and the townspeople payed more attention, Homer Barron might never have become Emily’s eternal
Because for so long Miss Emily was respected as a “lady” who “carried her head high enough”, many of her thorns and flaws go unnoticed (158,160). Faulkner supplies numerous suggestions as to Miss Emily’s “skeleton in the closet”, distasteful personality and decaying mental health but the townspeople for decades are unable to correctly interpret any of these hints. The townspeople twice even come so close to uncovering Miss Emily’s secrets when they find themselves inside her home. Emily acts in a guilty, nervous demeanor both times and quickly dismisses the men, “[vanquishing] them, horse and foot” before they can sit, become suspicious, or find Homer Barron upstairs (157). Jefferson’s rose color vision of Emily as soft and lady like keeps the townspeople blind to the horrors within her attic. Miss Emily’s idolization of the past complicates the future and leads to Barron’s murder. When her father dies, Miss Emily is finally able to “[clutch her] horsewhip” and control her personal life (159). However, when her new lover does not treat her how she is accustomed, she takes matters into her own hands. Emily kills him for trying to leaving her, similar to how a slave master might punish or kill a slave for trying to run away. Had the druggist dared to question Miss Emily more and the townspeople payed more attention, Homer Barron might never have become Emily’s eternal