Curious Emily Grierson
The Curious Emily Grierson The main character in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner has an intriguing intensity about her, an eccentric nature, and strong character changes throughout the story. Emily Grierson appeared in the beginning of the story as just a stubborn and slightly eccentric woman. ... Emily was an old, embittered, delusional woman who had a habit of living life in the past, which intrigued a small town for several decades; despite the fact that the town labeled her insane, she held a power over them because of their human curiosity. At first glance, Emily Grierson could be seen as an old woman who was quite stubborn and a touch eccentric, “Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of [hereditary obligation] upon the town, dating from that day in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris [. ... Not that Miss Emily would have accepted charity. ... First, we see that Emily was called a “hereditary obligation”, which means she was like an inherited obligation to the current town’s people. ... It was as if it was an unspoken town’s rule that Emily got humored by having her taxes continually remitted. ... Emily would not take charity, even though she needed it; the colonel had to trick her with a story because she was too stubborn to receive help from others. ... Emily’s eccentric nature tied in with her note; she wrote on an archaic piece of paper in fading calligraphy to the mayor to inform him she no longer went out. ... Emily’s initial impression was that of a stubborn and eccentric old woman who wanted little or nothing to do with the outside world. Emily’s character changed from an innocently stubborn and eccentric woman into one of a delusional and frightening woman in her appearance and actions, “Her skeleton was small and spare; perhaps that was why what would have been merely plumpness in another was obesity in her. ... Emily’s “pallid hue” was a tint to her skin that was lacking a natural color.