Grierson House?

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From 1998-2002, users of this site were invited to select one of the photos below for the cover by indicating which of the photos below best represents the image of Emily Grierson's house before it became "an eyesore among eyesores"? Answers are collected beneath the set of photos. Of course, the most persuasive answers quoted relevant phrases from Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." Strong cases were made for C and D, though good reasons were cited for A and B, too. Overall, the most and the best reasons led to D, even without spires. Had A been white with balconies, it might have been the winner.

Anybody got a better photo? If you have a photo of a white house with spires, cupolas, and scrolled balconies and I might use it for free on the cover of this site with acknowledgement to you and a credit line (copyright notice, if you have copyrighted the photo), please let me know by emailing--

Eric Hibbison, Litonline webmaster, at ehibbison@jsr.vccs.edu


A	B

C	D

Click on the rose to return to the cover page for the forum on "A Rose for Emily."

Emily’s House Tally

Only votes sent with reasons were saved and counted. Here is an archive of the reasoning sent in between October, 2000, and June, 2002. Boxed answers quote from the story to support their reasoning.

A

Tracy Kirk (3/4/01) says--

The photo with letter __A_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because, though house "B" is a little higher and mightier, "A" is the only one that has anything that could be construed as "spires." But, then again, "A" looks like it might be built a little late. In my mind, by the time the house in the story is truly "Emily's," by the time it reflects her character and situation, it needs to be holding onto its former grandeur, rather than in perfect condition, so I would pick one, if there were such a choice, which was already beginning to crumble.

B

	Sarah (12/3/00) says, “The photo with letter _b__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it seems more grand and rich but the color needs to be white.”
	Brian James (10/20/01) picks up on a detail: "The photo with letter __b mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it is the only house that shows a fence. The Grieson house must have a fence."
	Stephanie (3/20/02) reasons, "The photo with letter _b__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it looks like a very expensive and well kept house, one that her father would have chosen."
	Charity (4/19/02) says, "The photo with letter _B_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because Miss Emily is from a prestigious and respectful family and this house represents elegance."

C

Rexford (4/24/01) claims, "The photo with letter _C__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house
because it is already yellowing with decay."

Christie Xu suggests--

The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because in the story, it says that "it was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white," which means that it is no longer a white house. So of these four pictures, C shows a history about it.

	Branko (5/8/01) notes, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it's yellow and suitable for the decayed South."
	CAP (5/14/01) offers these details: "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because there are trees on the side and it looks like there may be few or no windows on the right side."
	Marcela casts a non-vote: "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because but to be honest none of them really. Think of the Bates house in Hitchcock's Psycho-now that's the house." [I wonder if Hitchcock ever read "A Rose for Emily," or maybe decaying Victorian houses had become an easy symbol of insanity by the time Psycho was made.--EH]
	Shante Green says, "The photo with letter __c_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it's the most squarish." This view was seconded by Desiree Smith (10/22/01).
	Jen (9/11/01) claims, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it looks like the most antique and the least taken care of."
	Laura Steinee (9/27/01) says, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because at one time it looks like it could have been really awesome, but it also looks like it could be easily run down."
	Erin Murphy (3/19/02) suggests, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it is tall and grey and could become very ghostly and decrepit without care. "
	Lori Becker (4/14/02) says, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because its straight, firm lines give it the strict, stately quality demonstrated in Emily's character. Also, the arches over the windows, like raised brows, give it a certain coquettish personification mentioned in the text."
	Larissa (5/8/02) suggests, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it's gloomy and looks quite old."
	Eva Otto (5/17/02) claims, "The photo with letter c___ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it has a feeling of something that is not being kept anymore--sort of faded glory."
	Sipos Júlia (5/19/02) notes, "The photo with letter _c__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because neither of the others seem so old for me to imagine Emily in them. And it has a room at the top, which might be [Homer] Barron's room. "

D

“The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it's a large house that seems as though at some point in time it could have been a elegant, elaborate home but has not been properly cared for since Emily's father passed away.”

Emily (no kidding) (2/7/01) says, “The photo with letter __D_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it is similar to what I pictured in my head when I read the story. It is old and had not had much upkeep, which is what I imagined when I read the story.”

Katie Myers (2/20/01) says--

The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it is a "big, squarish frame house" that is white, "decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies." I actually like the A and B houses better, but this one suits the story better; it is the only one with both the white and square looks. It appears like it might have been a house seen on "our most select street."

Sharon Graves (3/22/01) reasons thus: The photo with letter _D__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it looks like a very quiet and private house. Emily's family had a high social status and they took advantage of that fact. They kept everything private and rarely aloud anybody in the house. The windows are dark making it harder for anybody to spy inside and find out their business. The house, in Miss Emily's time, was probably extremely expensive. That was there way of showing off their wealth and letting all the townspeople know how powerful they were. It obviously worked since they got everything they wanted without being questioned or harassed. I don't believe that "A" would have belonged to them because it seems to cheerful and open to the public. The person that lived in that house would probably invite a stray dog or homeless person in, whereas in "D" they would probably shoot the dog and tell the homeless person to get lost. "B" looks too boring and not as noticeable. Miss Emily's family would want something that stood out. They wanted people to notice them and wonder what they did in that house. "B" looks too normal and not intimidating enough. "C" also looks pretty boring although it is more noticeable than "B" since it is yellow. I think that it is not a very attractive house and not a lot of people would want to go in it in my opinion. I do not think that Miss Emily would want to live in it either. It is also to square just like "B." They would want something that isn't shaped like all the other houses.

Jackie (4/21/01) suggests:

The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because "it was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies." The house also looks Southern, like it
belongs on a plantation. It fits the family and the high expectations of the family. Being white, prominent, but dark in some areas could be a metaphor for the Griersons.

Rene Jackson says, "The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house
because it was squarish and white." This reasoning was seconded by Tasha Cruz (2/10/02).

Jessica Sturges (9/25/01) reasons, "The photo with letter __D_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because the Grierson house was an old one. I pictured the house to be plain and not too fancy. Model D shows that to me. Not only that, but in the story there were only two floors that were mentioned. The house was not cleaned, inside or out, and the front door was used at a minimum. I pictured the house showed in model D."

Gail Yarborough (2/14/02) maintains,

The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because "It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies."

Rose (2/22/02) claims, "The photo with letter _D__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house
because the white house has scrolled balconies bringing to mind the Southern atmosphere."

Kerra McEwen (2/27/02) articulates the symbolism of the white house: "The photo with letter _d__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because its white as the story portrays it to be, which symbolized Emily's purity before the isolation played a part in her deathly deterioration. "

Jason McKay (3/27/02) hits on the three main criteria used to pick D:

The photo with letter _D__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it too looks like it had "once been white" and is "squarish" in shape. It also only has two main floors above ground, and Faulkner only mentions there being two.

Heather Lee (3/18/02) looks at the bottom of the house and draws from the action of the story, not just the description of the house--and a few minutes later reconsiders in detail, weighing various factors:

The photo with letter __D_ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it is white. The story indicates "it was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white." This house also has balconies as the story mentions. The story also mentions that the men were "sniffing along the base of the brickwork," when they were searching for the smell coming from the Grierson house. The house labeled "D" has a base of brickwork.

The photo with letter _D__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because the story indicates the Grierson house was "a big, squarish frame house that had once been white." The story also indicates the house had balconies as does the white one in letter D. Although the story states that the house was decorated with cupolas and spires, these aren't apparent in the picture. The story also indicates men "crossed Miss Emily's lawn" as they were inspecting the property for foul odors. The
picture in D doesn't show any sign of a lawn as some of the other pictures do. The story does mention the house having a base of brickwork as the white house in D does. However, the men also sprinkle lye in the outbuildings. One can see outbuildings in pictures A and B but not in C or D. Although I think the house in letter D most accurately represents the house based on physical appearance, letter B seems to have the stateliness that a Grierson would occupy.

This is a modification of my previous answer.

Heather Hord (3/20/02) says,

The photo with letter __D_ most closely resembles the Grierson house because "it was a squarish frame house that had once been white." House number D is squared and resembles a once white house. Also it was "decorated with scrolled balconies." House D is the only one that has balconies that wrap around the house on the outside.

Astrid V. Cans (4/18/02) maintains, "The photo with letter _D__ mostly closely resembles the Grierson house because it looks abandoned and without life on the surroundings. It also looks mysterious."