A Rose for Emilyby William Faulkner.docx
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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
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