In order to keep him permanently around, she bought poison from a druggist . Many of the people in the community assumed that this poison would be for Miss Emily to kill herself. She purchased the items before Homer made it clear that they would not be married and then bought the rat poison.
What does the poison in A Rose for Emily symbolize?
The lime symbolizes a “creepy” feeling towards the story and the fact that Emily was hiding the smell of Homer Barron. Arsenic was originally used to kill rats, instead the poison was to kill Barron. ... The arsenic is a symbol of horrible actions .
Why does Emily poison Homer?
Emily's father kept her from seeing suitors and controlled her social life, keeping her in isolation until his death, when she is 30 years old. Her struggle with loss and attachment is the impetus for the plot, driving her to kill Homer Barron, the man that is assumed to have married her.
Why did Miss Emily keep Homer?
Homer was her last, best chance at matrimony, and when she discovered that he had no intention of marrying her, she decided to keep him around anyway. Emily had a history of mental illness in her family, and she had already held on to one body in her house–her father's.
Who is the only person to live with Emily after her father's death?
Emily Grierson
Devastated and alone after her father's death, she is an object of pity for the townspeople. After a life of having potential suitors rejected by her father, she spends time after his death with a newcomer, Homer Barron , although the chances of his marrying her decrease as the years pass.
Who did Emily poison in A Rose for Emily?
As Emily was too empty in mind and could not get solace. She poisoned Homer to have one man accompany her. Unfortunately, she got him at the same time she lost him forever, or at least she had been spiritually dead at the moment she poisoned him. Her heart was always filled with sorrow, sadness and helplessness.
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.
What does Homer symbolize in A Rose for Emily?
Homer, much like Emily, is an outsider, a stranger in town who becomes the subject of gossip. ... With his machinery, Homer represents modernity and industrialization , the force of progress that is upending traditional values and provoking resistance and alarm among traditionalists.
What does Emily Grierson's death symbolize?
Emily's View of Death
When Emily's father dies, it becomes clear that she is unable or unwilling to accept the final separation from him. After several days, Emily must be coerced into giving up his body for burial. This view of death is repeated when Emily kills Homer Barron rather than allowing him to leave her.
How do we know Emily Killed Homer?
She told them that her father was not dead.” Emily could not let go of him, so she keeps his dead body in her house. This same thing happens with Homer. Once she knows that Homer is the one, she poisons him with arsenic and then leaves him in the upstairs bedroom .
What Mental Illness Did Emily have in A Rose for Emily?
The mental illness that Miss Emily has in “A Rose for Emily” could be schizophrenia .
Is Homer's love for Emily true?
There is no real indication about Homer's perspective on his relationship with Emily. Obviously, he has some sort of affection for her that makes him want to spend time with her, but what Emily perceives as romantic interest is merely platonic from his end.
What happened to Emily after her father died?
When her father dies, Miss Emily is left with the house but with almost no money . Because her father has dismissed her suitors, she remains single despite her beauty and is now above the normal age for marriage in her society; even worse, their are no prospective husbands left of the proper class.
Did Miss Emily have a psychological illness?
Though many different diagnoses have been made, the most common can be summarized as follows by Nicole Smith in her psychological analysis of the character: “ It is reasonable to propose that Miss Emily developed [schizophrenia] as a response to the demanding conditions in which she was living as a Southern woman from ...
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.
What did Emily use to poison the wife?
It's now clear that without status symbols, those who once ruled over the helpless are now helpless themselves. It's not until she takes the medicine Emily gives her to help with the E . coli in the water, which is actually a lethal poison, that she realizes she was never her ally.
