A-Rose-for-Emily

“ARoseforEmily”byWilliamFaulkner(1930)IWHENMissEmilyGriersondied,ourwholetownwenttoherfuneral:thementhroughasortofrespectfulaffectionforafallenmonument,thewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse,whichnoonesaveanoldman-servant--acombinedgardenerandcook--hadseeninatleasttenyears.Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoncebeenwhite,decoratedwithcupolasandspiresandscrolledbalconiesintheheavilylightsomestyleoftheseventies,setonwhathadoncebeenourmostselectstreet.Butgaragesandcottonginshadencroachedandobliteratedeventheaugustnamesofthatneighborhood;onlyMissEmily'shousewasleft,liftingitsstubbornandcoquettishdecayabovethecottonwagonsandthegasolinepumps-aneyesoreamongeyesores.AndnowMissEmilyhadgonetojointherepresentativesofthoseaugustnameswheretheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionandConfederatesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson.Alive,MissEmilyhadbeenatradition,aduty,andacare;asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown,datingfromthatdayin1894whenColonelSartoris,themayor--hewhofatheredtheedictthatnoNegrowomanshouldappearonthestreetswithoutanapron-remittedhertaxes,thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheronintoperpetuity.NotthatMissEmilywouldhaveacceptedcharity.ColonelSartorisinventedaninvolvedtaletotheeffectthatMissEmily'sfatherhadloanedmoneytothetown,whichthetown,asamatterofbusiness,preferredthiswayofrepaying.OnlyamanofColonelSartoris'generationandthoughtcouldhaveinventedit,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit.Whenthenextgeneration,withitsmoremodernideas,becamemayorsandaldermen,thisarrangementcreatedsomelittledissatisfaction.Onthefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice.Februarycame,andtherewasnoreply.Theywroteheraformalletter,askinghertocallatthesheriff'sofficeatherconvenience.Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself,offeringtocallortosendhiscarforher,andreceivedinreplyanoteonpaperofanarchaicshape,inathin,flowingcalligraphyinfadedink,totheeffectthatshenolongerwentoutatall.Thetaxnoticewasalsoenclosed,withoutcomment.TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermen.Adeputationwaiteduponher,knockedatthedoorthroughwhichnovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingchina-paintinglessonseightortenyearsearlier.TheywereadmittedbytheoldNegrointoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymountedintostillmoreshadow.Itsmelledofdustanddisuse--aclose,danksmell.TheNegroledthemintotheparlor.Itwasfurnishedinheavy,leather-coveredfurniture.WhentheNegroopenedtheblindsofonewindow,theycouldseethattheleatherwascracked;andwhentheysatdown,afaintdustrosesluggishlyabouttheirthighs,spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray.OnatarnishedgilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodacrayonportraitofMissEmily'sfather.Theyrosewhensheentered--asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingoldchaindescendingtoherwaistandvanishingintoherbelt,leaningonanebonycanewithatarnishedgoldhead.Herskeletonwassmallandspare;perhapsthatwaswhywhatwouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher.Shelookedbloated,likeabodylongsubmergedinmotionlesswater,andofthatpallidhue.Hereyes,lostinthefattyridgesofherface,lookedliketwosmallpiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromonefacetoanotherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand.Shedidnotaskthemtosit.Shejuststoodinthedoorandlistenedquietlyuntilthespokesmancametoastumblinghalt.Thentheycouldheartheinvisiblewatchtickingattheendofthegoldchain.Hervoicewasdryandcold.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.ColonelSartorisexplainedittome.Perhapsoneofyoucangainaccesstothecityrecordsandsatisfyyourselves.Butwehave.Wearethecityauthorities,MissEmily.Didn'tyougetanoticefromthesheriff,signedbyhim?Ireceivedapaper,yes,MissEmilysaid.Perhapsheconsidershimselfthesheriff...IhavenotaxesinJefferson.Butthereisnothingonthebookstoshowthat,youseeWemustgobythe--SeeColonelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.But,MissEmily--SeeColonelSartoris.(ColonelSartorishadbeendeadalmosttenyears.)IhavenotaxesinJefferson.Tobe!TheNegroappeared.Showthesegentlemenout.IISoSHEvanquishedthem,horseandfoot,justasshehadvanquishedtheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell.Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather'sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart--theonewebelievedwouldmarryher--haddesertedher.Afterherfather'sdeathshewentoutverylittle;afterhersweetheartwentaway,peoplehardlysawheratall.Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall,butwerenotreceived,andtheonlysignoflifeabouttheplacewastheNegroman--ayoungmanthen--goinginandoutwithamarketbasket.Justasifaman--anyman--couldkeepakitchenproperly,theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped.Itwasanotherlinkbetweenthegross,teemingworldandthehighandmightyGriersons.Aneighbor,awoman,complainedtothemayor,JudgeStevens,eightyyearsold.Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit,madam?hesaid.Why,sendherwordtostopit,thewomansaid.Isn'ttherealaw?I'msurethatwon'tbenecessary,JudgeStevenssaid.It'sprobablyjustasnakeoraratthatniggerofherskilledintheyard.I'llspeaktohimaboutit.Thenextdayhereceivedtwomorecomplaints,onefromamanwhocameindiffidentdeprecation.Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit,Judge.I'dbethelastoneintheworldtobotherMissEmily,butwe'vegottodosomething.ThatnighttheBoardofAldermenmet--threegraybeardsandoneyounger