A Rose for Emilyby William Faulkner.docx

A Rose for Emilyby William Faulkner.docx

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ARoseforEmilybyWilliamFaulkner

ARoseforEmily

byWilliamFaulkner

I

1.WhenMissEmilyGriersondied,ourwholetownwenttoherfuneral:

thementhroughasortofrespectfulaffectionforafallenmonument,thewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse,whichnoonesaveanoldman-servant—acombinedgardenerandcook—hadseeninatleasttenyears.

2.Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoncebeenwhite,decoratedwithcupolasandspiresandscrolledbalconiesintheheavilylightsomestyleoftheseventies,setonwhathadoncebeenourmostselectstreet.Butgaragesandcottonginshadencroachedandobliteratedeventheaugustnamesofthatneighborhood;onlyMissEmily’shousewasleft,liftingitsstubbornandcoquettishdecayabovethecottonwagonsandthegasolinepumps—aneyesoreamongeyesores.AndnowMissEmilyhadgonetojointherepresentativesofthoseaugustnameswheretheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionandConfederatesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson.

3.Alive,MissEmilyhadbeenatradition,aduty,andacare;asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown,datingfromthatdayin1894whenColonelSartoris,themayor—hewhofatheredtheedictthatnoNegrowomanshouldappearonthestreetswithoutanapron—remittedhertaxes,thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheronintoperpetuity.NotthatMissEmilywouldhaveacceptedcharity.ColonelSartorisinventedaninvolvedtaletotheeffectthatMissEmily’sfatherhadloanedmoneytothetown,whichthetown,asamatterofbusiness,preferredthiswayofrepaying.OnlyamanofColonelSartoris’generationandthoughtcouldhaveinventedit,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit.

4.Whenthenextgeneration,withitsmoremodernideas,becamemayorsandaldermen,thisarrangementcreatedsomelittledissatisfaction.Onthefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice.Februarycame,andtherewasnoreply.Theywroteheraformalletter,askinghertocallatthesheriff’sofficeatherconvenience.Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself,offeringtocallortosendhiscarforher,andreceivedinreplyanoteonpaperofanarchaicshape,inathin,flowingcalligraphyinfadedink,totheeffectthatshenolongerwentoutatall.Thetaxnoticewasalsoenclosed,withoutcomment.Attachment

5.TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermen.Adeputationwaiteduponher,knockedatthedoorthroughwhichnovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingchina-paintinglessonseightortenyearsearlier.TheywereadmittedbytheoldNegrointoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymountedintostillmoreshadow.Itsmelledofdustanddisuse—aclose,danksmell.TheNegroledthemintotheparlor.Itwasfurnishedinheavy,leather-coveredfurniture.WhentheNegroopenedtheblindsofonewindow,theycouldseethattheleatherwascracked;andwhentheysatdown,afaintdustrosesluggishlyabouttheirthighs,spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray.OnatarnishedgilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodacrayonportraitofMissEmily’sfather.

6.Theyrosewhensheentered—asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingoldchaindescendingtoherwaistandvanishingintoherbelt,leaningonanebonycanewithatarnishedgoldhead.Herskeletonwassmallandspare;perhapsthatwaswhywhatwouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher.Shelookedbloated,likeabodylongsubmergedinmotionlesswater,andofthatpallidhue.Hereyes,lostinthefattyridgesofherface,lookedliketwosmallpiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromonefacetoanotherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand.

7.Shedidnotaskthemtosit.Shejuststoodinthedoorandlistenedquietlyuntilthespokesmancametoastumblinghalt.Thentheycouldheartheinvisiblewatchtickingattheendofthegoldchain.

8.Hervoicewasdryandcold.“IhavenotaxesinJefferson.ColonelSartorisexplainedittome.Perhapsoneofyoucangainaccesstothecityrecordsandsatisfyyourselves.”

9.“Butwehave.Wearethecityauthorities,MissEmily.Didn’tyougetanoticefromthesheriff,signedbyhim?

”

10.“Ireceivedapaper,yes,”MissEmilysaid.“Perhapsheconsidershimselfthesheriff...IhavenotaxesinJefferson.”

11.“Butthereisnothingonthebookstoshowthat,yousee.Wemustgobythe—”

12.“SeeColonelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.”

13.“But,MissEmily—”

14.“SeeColonelSartoris.”（ColonelSartorishadbeendeadalmosttenyears.）“IhavenotaxesinJefferson.Tobe!

”TheNegroappeared.“Showthesegentlemenout.”

II

15.Soshevanquishedthem,horseandfoot,justasshehadvanquishedtheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell.Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather’sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart—theonewebelievedwouldmarryher—haddesertedher.Afterherfather’sdeathshewentoutverylittle;afterhersweetheartwentaway,peoplehardlysawheratall.Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall,butwerenotreceived,andtheonlysignoflifeabouttheplacewastheNegroman—ayoungmanthen—goinginandoutwithamarketbasket.

16.“Justasifaman—anyman—couldkeepakitchenproperly,“theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped.Itwasanotherlinkbetweenthegross,teemingworldandthehighandmightyGriersons.

17.Aneighbor,awoman,complainedtothemayor,JudgeStevens,eightyyearsold.

18.“Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit,madam?

”hesaid.

19.“Why,sendherwordtostopit,”thewomansaid.“Isn’ttherealaw?

”

20.“I’msurethatwon’tbenecessary,”JudgeStevenssaid.“It’sprobablyjustasnakeoraratthatniggerofherskilledintheyard.I’llspeaktohimaboutit.”

21.Thenextdayhereceivedtwomorecomplaints,onefromamanwhocameindiffidentdeprecation.“Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit,Judge.I’dbethelastoneintheworldtobotherMissEmily,butwe’vegottodosomething.”ThatnighttheBoardofAldermenmet—threegraybeardsandoneyoungerman,amemberoftherisinggeneration.

22.“It’ssimpleenough,”hesaid.“Sendherwordtohaveherplacecleanedup.Giveheracertaintimetodoitin,andifshedon’t...”

23.“Dammit,sir,”JudgeStevenssaid,“willyouaccusealadytoherfaceofsmellingbad?

”

24.Sothenextnight,aftermidnight,fourmencrossedMissEmily’slawnandslunkaboutthehouselikeburglars,sniffingalongthebaseofthebrickworkandatthecellaropeningswhileoneofthemperformedaregularsowingmotionwithhishandoutofasackslungfromhisshoulder.Theybrokeopenthecellardoorandsprinkledlimethere,andinalltheoutbuildings.Astheyrecrossedthelawn,awindowthathadbeendarkwaslightedandMissEmilysatinit,thelightbehindher,andheruprighttorsomotionlessasthatofanidol.Theycreptquietlyacrossthelawnandintotheshadowofthelocuststhatlinedthestreet.Afteraweekortwothesmellwentaway.

25.Thatwaswhenpeoplehadbeguntofeelreallysorryforher.Peopleinourtown,rememberinghowoldladyWyatt,hergreat-aunt,hadgonecompletelycrazyatlast,believedthattheGriersonsheldthemselvesalittletoohighforwhattheyreallywere.NoneoftheyoungmenwerequitegoodenoughforMissEmilyandsuch.Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau,MissEmilyaslenderfigureinwhiteinthebackground,herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteintheforeground,hisbacktoherandclutchingahorsewhip,thetwoofthemframedbythebackflungfrontdoor.Sowhenshegottobethirtyandwasstillsingle,wewerenotpleasedexactly,butvindicated;evenwithinsanityinthefamilyshewouldn’thaveturneddownallofherchancesiftheyhadreallymaterialized.

26.Whenherfatherdied,itgotaboutthatthehousewasallthatwaslefttoher;andinaway,peoplewereglad.AtlasttheycouldpityMissEmily.Beingleftalone,andapauper,shehadbecomehumanized.Nowshetoowouldknowtheoldthrillandtheolddespairofapennymoreorless.

27.Thedayafterhisdeathalltheladiespreparedtocallatthehouseandoffercondolenceandaid,asisourcustom.MissEmilymetthematthedoor,dressedasusualandwithnotraceofgriefonherface.Shetoldthemthatherfatherwasnotdead.Shedidthatforthreedays,withtheministerscallingonher,andthedoctors,tryingtopersuadehertoletthemdisposeofthebody.Justastheywereabouttoresorttolawandforce,shebrokedown,andtheyburiedherfatherquickly.

28.Wedidnotsayshewascrazythen.Webelievedshehadtodothat.Werememberedalltheyoungmenherfatherhaddrivenaway,andweknewthatwithnothingleft,shewouldhavetoclingtothatwhichhadrobbedher,aspeoplewill.

III

29.Shewassickforalongtime.Whenwesawheragain,herhairwascutshort,makingherlooklikeagirl,withavagueresemblancetothoseangelsincoloredchurchwindows—sortoftragicandserene.

30.Thetownhadjustletthecontractsforpavingthesidewalks,andinthesummerafterherfather’sdeaththeybeganthework.Theconstructioncompanycamewithriggersandmulesandmachinery,andaforemannamedHomerBarron,aYankee—abig,dark,readyman,withabigvoiceandeyeslighterthanhisface.Thelittleboyswouldfollowingroupstohearhimcusstheriggers,andtheriggerssingingintimetotheriseandfallofpicks.Prettysoonhekneweverybodyintown.Wheneveryouheardalotoflaughinganywhereaboutthesquare,HomerBarronwouldbeinthecenterofthegroup.PresentlywebegantoseehimandMissEmilyonSundayafternoonsdrivingintheyellow-wheeledbuggyandthematchedteamofbaysfromtheliverystable.

31.Atfirstwew