The day after his death, the ladies of Jefferson arrived at the Grierson household to offer their condolences, and Emily told them
that her father was not dead
. For three days Emily refused to acknowledge her father's death until she finally broke down and let them bury him. … She told them that her father was not dead.
What strange thing did Miss Emily do with her father after her father died?
The day after Mr. Grierson's death, the women of the town call on Emily to offer their condolences. Meeting them at the door, Emily states that her father is not dead, a charade that she keeps up for three days.
She finally turns her father's body over for burial
.
Why does Miss Emily tell the visiting ladies this information?
When Miss Emily tells her visitors
that her father is not dead
, she is doing several things. First, she is denying reality. She does this in different ways throughout the story. A related point is that she denies her father's death because he played such a large role in her life and identity.
Why does Miss Emily's situation after her father's death make the townspeople glad?
-When Emily's father dies in 1894, the people felt “glad” because
“being left alone, and a pauper, she had become humanized
.” However, her father had run off all of her husband prospects and so when he dies, Miss Emily has no one. Now we understand why she kept his body for three days!
What did Emily Grierson do when her father died?
When Emily's father dies, she proudly displays no grief on her face, insisting that her father is not dead; he lies in the house three days. (Does she hope he will rise from the dead?) Finally, law enforcement comes, she breaks down with the realization, and they quickly
bury her father
.
What does Miss Emily do for money in her later years?
So, at age 40, for about 6 or 7 years, she gave
lessons on painting china
. It is an interesting thing to do to earn money, and even more interesting that Miss Emily, from wealthy relations and a stubborn sense of pride, would condescend to teaching painting lessons for money. But, she does it. I hope that helps!
How does Miss Emily respond to the tax bills that are sent to her?
How does Miss Emily respond to the tax bills that are sent to her? … “
When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray.”
Why does Miss Emily get rid of her cousins?
Miss Emily didn't want her relatives there to “keep an eye on her” in regards to her relationship with Homer, so now that they appear to be acting responsibly and getting married, everyone — the townspeople and Miss Emily — will be happily rid of the cousins who will no longer have
a purpose
to be in town.
How Does Emily behave after her father dies?
When her father dies, Miss Emily is left with the house but with almost no money. … She
refuses
even to admit that he is dead: The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house … Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face.
Why do the townspeople say poor Emily?
In “A Rose for Emily,” the townspeople keep repeating “poor Emily” as
an indication that they believe she has fallen from her privileged social standing
. Miss Emily does not conform to their social expectations, particularly when she chooses to enjoy the company of a man who is a day laborer from the North.
How many days before Miss Emily admitted her father died?
She refused to admit that he was dead, and it wasn't until
3 days
later that “she broke down, and they buried her father quickly.” This refusal to give up her father's body, and her trauma over a loved one leaving her, comes into play in a VERY significant way later on, so it is an important thing to note early on.
What is the one thing that Miss Emily's father left for her?
The townspeople are glad that Emily's father only left
her the house because then they can pity her
. Emily is a very unusual woman. … Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily's father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying.
Why did Emily keep her father's body?
She sought
to find a replacement for her father
and was attracted to the authoritarian character in the men that she loved and this may have been the reason why she kept their bodies around after their deaths to maintain the same environment to which she had been accustomed and to alleviate the feeling of loneliness.
Why do the townspeople think Miss Emily would never marry someone like Homer?
When nothing changes, the townspeople believe that
Emily will end up marrying Homer
Barron. The attitude of the citizens regarding Emily's relationship with Homer appears to change once again when they mention that they are glad that she is marrying Homer simply because they want Emily's kin to leave town.
Why does Emily refuse to pay taxes?
Emily didn't want to pay her taxes
because she couldn't afford to
. She truly believed her father had an arrangement where he didn't owe taxes, however she had no money to pay the taxes either.
Why does Miss Emily refuse to accept her father's death?
Miss Emily's refusal to accept the fact of her father's death is
a miniature version of her failure to accept the changing world of the South
. … We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will.”
