In William Faulkner's short story entitled "A Rose For Emily", Emily Grierson appears as a main character. She is a pathetic, lonely, hermit-like tragic woman and went as far as to commits murder, which is revealed in the end of this story. And Homer Baron, the another supporting character, is the Emily's first lover who is killed by Emily. I'd like to analyze the character Homer Barron with the given information in this story. .
Homer Barron is a foreman of a construction company who seems to take an interest in Emily, portrayed is affable, confident and extrovert in sharp contrast to Emily's personality. And his regional and class background is also quite opposite of Emily, who is from prestigious family in the town of Jefferson. On the other hand, Homer is a day laborer and northerner and for that reason, so his regional and social rank are not fully welcomed by the town's people. Presently two of them are seen to go out together. Whole town think that Homer and Emily would get married soon. Homer changes Emily's life from secluding herself from society to being out in the world on her own. She also longs for a love to fill a void in her heart after her father's death. It is also represented by the narrator 'we', "She will marry him, She will persuade him yet". But their relationship between Emily and Homer don't develop to marriage even though Emily is seen to arrange the marriage with Homer. And the reason for the Homer's rejection (though it is not exactly reported in this story) is unknown, but two possible reasons for this issue are conservative eyes of the whole town and his unclear sexuality. .
As for all eyes of the whole town on the issue that Emily would marry a Yankee, saying that it is absurd and even it is represented by the narrator noted, "it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people" In the small town living people who seem interested in other people, where every action of Emily and Homer becomes the talk of town, it seems improbable that he is homosexual because it was not specifically remarked that he is gay and the narrator does not know everything.
