What happened to Homer Barron?


Quick Answer

In the story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, Homer Barron is killed by the main character, Emily Grierson. Homer, who is depicted by the story's narrator as the proverbial bachelor or a possible homosexual, is poisoned by Emily.

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Full Answer

In Faulkner's short story, Emily is the daughter of a well-respected man. Despite having a lofty standing in society, Emily is often the subject of town gossip and pity, which is compounded by her eccentric behavior and refusal to follow the law. Her situation is worsened when she starts consorting with Homer, a man whom the community deem as beneath her station. While the townspeople generally felt scandalized by Emily's conduct and the fact that she killed Homer, they were bound by a deep sense of duty to maintain her privacy out of respect for her father and not because they genuinely cared for her well-being.

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