The Jewelry

Guy de Maupassant

Discussion Question:
1. What is ironic about Monsieur Lantins second marriage?
The ironic thing about Monsieur Lantins second marriage is that his life became miserable
rather than make him happy because of her virtue. Instead of having a happier life, his
second wife which is a very virtuous woman and had a violent temper which is exactly the
opposite characteristic of his first wife brought him to darkness. Thus, this causes him so much
sorrow and brought him again to poverty.
2. What can a reader infer about how Madam Lantin had been able to run the finances at the
Lantin households as efficiency?
A reader can infer that Madam Lantin is a thrifty wife. She knows how to manage the salary of
her husband. Madam Lantin has the ability to have their luxury without wasting their budget.
Hence, Mrs. Lantin runs the finances at the Lantin households as efficiently.

A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner
Discussion Questions:
1. When her father was driving off her suitors, why didnt Emily run away and live
elsewhere?
Emily didnt run away and live elsewhere because the only thing that his father left for her
was the house. And during that time, women were generally defined by their role as a wife, a
mother and a daughter.
2. How does the community regard Miss Emily? Characterize her.
In the third paragraph of the story, the community regards Miss Emily as a tradition, a duty, a
care. She was a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town. Miss Emily rarely went out;
never been married; and died alone at age of 74.
She was a vague resemblance to those angels in colored church windows sort of tragic
and serene.
3. What does Miss Emilys refusal to pay her taxes and bury her dead father imply?
Miss Emilys refusal to pay her taxes and bury her dead father implies that she was a
stereotypical southern eccentric: unbalanced, excessively tragic, and subject to bizarre
behavior.
4. The narrator of the story is an observed and a participant. Who might this be? How do
you suppose the narrator might know so much about Emily? Why do you think the
narrator uses WE instead of I?
The narrator might be one of the towns people of Jefferson.
I suppose the narrator might know so much about Emily because he or she lived in Jefferson
wherein Miss Emily was an icon.
I think the narrator uses WE instead of I because he or she was pertaining not only to
himself or herself but also with the other residents of Jefferson who witness the life of Miss
Emily.
5. Describe the narrators attitude toward women.

6. Why is the story entitled A Rose for Emily?

The rose is symbolism; a sort of nod in her direction for her success as an aristocratic
representative, the last of her kind, and the conqueror of Homer Baron. The rose is also a
symbol of love and of her life. It was beautiful, soft, protected, with a few thorns. Her
southern heritage enveloped her and protected her in the dullness of the rules that she
followed almost without question. Her father also protected her from marriage to unsuitable
men, and then from taxes as he died leaving her alone with Toby.

7. What sort of story is A Rose for Emily?

A Rose for Emily is a sort of gothic literature. It includes horror and romanticism. As the story
is deeply rooted from the South, it tackles issues such as race, gender and class.
8. Despite the storys confusing sequence, many events are foreshadowed. Give examples
of this technique. How does foreshadowing enrich the story?
Foreshadowing is a large part of the mystique of A Rose for Emily. The three main
instances of foreshadowing in the story are:
The most obvious example of foreshadowing occurs at the beginning of part two,
when mention is made of the smell emanating from the house, and the
disappearance of her suitor.
A second instance occurs when the town ladies appear to offer their condolences
upon the death of Miss Emilys father, only to have her state that the man was not
dead and she refused to have the body removed for three days.
Numerous mentions of Miss Emilys sanity are raised in the story and the incident
where she purchases arsenic from the druggist without explanation also
foreshadows the discovery of the corpse of her suitor in the bed beside where
Miss Emily slept for forty years.
Therefore, foreshadowing enrich the story by the time-line of specific events that led up
to the final finding which build up a lot of mystery and enigmatic questioning. Thus, one
event causes or affects the other, and altogether they lead to the shocking end of the
story.
9. Where do the exposition end and the movement toward the storys climax begin? Where
does the resolution stage begin?
The exposition end when members of the Board of Aldermen pay her a visit, in the dusty
and antiquated parlor, Emily reasserts the fact that she is not required to pay taxes in
Jefferson and that the officials should talk to Colonel Sartoris about the matter. However,
at that point the latter has been dead for almost a decade. Thus, she asked her servant,
Tobe, to show the men out. Furthermore, the climax begins at summer after her fathers
death, when Homer Barron got the contract of the towns pave sidewalks. Lastly, the
resolution begins when the narrator describes what happens after Emily dies.