Miss Emily Grierson in "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner was a product of her family and a deceitful lover. She denied that death could have an impact directly on her, but she could also use death as a means of saving her reputation or "face" in the community.
             Miss Emily's father controlled her life as most fathers of that time. His domination went as far as keeping her young suitors away from her(77). The Grierson family looked down on others in the town so her father appeared to consider everyone else including her suitors inferior. There was a history of insanity in the family from her great-aunt Wyatt whom they inherited the estate from ( 78). The town's people called her "old lady Wyatt, the crazy woman"(78). This also played a part in Miss Emily's character makeup.
             When Emily's father died she was in a complete state of denial. The town's ladies came to give their condolences "Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead"(77). Her refusal to acknowledge her father's death was also a refusal to accept that his domination had ended. One she comprehended his passing she then questioned what she would do from then on. This led to Miss Emily's "breakdown".
             After her "breakdown" she met Homer Barron. He was a big domineering man who was also a Yankee. By actually letting this man "court" her, she was throwing tradition back in the town's face. She considered herself above the town's society and the people's opinions of her did not matter.
             Homer Barron's intentions were never to marry Emily "he was not a marrying man"(79). She pretended his intentions were honorable "as they passed on Sunday afternoons in the glittering buggy, Miss Emily with her head high and Homer Barron with his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth, reins and whip in yellow glove"(79), with this she was keeping up the preface of an "honorable courts...