Importance of Setting in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Setting is place and time and often provides more than just a backdrop for the action of a history. William Faulkner uses this device in his complex story "A Rose for Emily" to give insight into the lonely world of Miss Emily Grierson. Faulkner portrays the townspeople and Emily in the southern town of Jefferson in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town is much more than the setting of the story; takes on its own characterization together with Emily, the main character. It is the main reasoning behind Emily's attitude and actions. It gives the reader a simpler understanding of why Emily makes the decisions she does throughout the story. The city of Jefferson was deeply indirectly involved in the life of Emily Grierson. They watched and discussed his every move, being his analyst, wondering why he did certain things. They had their own idea of ​​who he was and what they wanted him to be. The reason was that the aristocratic Grierson family led by his father was highly regarded in the bygone era of the Confederacy. His father had a lot of power and was close to a very popular mayor called Colonel Sartoris. The power that Emily's father has over Emily can be seen in a portrait of the two that the narrator describes: "Emily a slender woman in white in the background, her father a reclining silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and he's holding a riding crop." (141) In fact he controls her like a horse, never allowing her to date anyone. And until his death, in fact, he doesn't. After the death of Emily's father, we find her involved with a gay man named Homer Baron who she probably believes she will eventually marry. It is her continued reliance on a male figure that brings Emily into this situation. It is the environment in which he lies that has this impact on his thinking and understanding. We eventually find out that Emily kills Homer. He does this not out of anger or hatred towards this man. It is her belief that a man must play a significant role in her life that drives Emily to commit this incredible act of violence. In his mind this wasn't a crazy thing to do.