The Flashy Outsider

William Faulkner portrays Homer Barron in the short story ” A Rose for Emily” as a rather unique character who stands out among all the commoners in the little town of Yoknapatawpha County. He describes Homer Barron as a flashy outsider that captures everyone’s attention whenever his name is mentioned or enters the scene. Homer Barron is an outsider, a “Yankee”. Faulkner describes Homer as ” a dark, big, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face”(309). Homer came from a Northern State as a foreman with a construction company and as soon as he arrived the towns’ people insulted him. Homer did not know of Emily Grierson nor her past, but the whole town assumed ” a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer” and the townsfolk believe Ms.

Emily Grierson will fall in love with the outsider Homer Barron (309). Not only did Faulkner have Homer stand out by being just an outsider but also by describing him a very flashy manor. Homer drove a “yellow-wheeled buggy” while everyone else that drove, drove a normal color buggy (309). Not only does Faulkner cause Homer to stand out by how he travels but also by his clothing. Homer Barron wore his “hat cocked”, not straight like a normal person, and he had “a cigar in his teeth, reins and whip in yellow glove”.

Homers gloves even matched his buggy and weren’t worn out and dirty, but all clean and intact (311). Homer Barron is a well-dressed worker in a small town that not many people can work in and have nice clothing like him. Faulkner also has Homer stand out by not only his flashy cloths and by being an outsider but also by making him the center of attention. Homer makes everyone laugh and whenever there was “a lot of laughing anywhere” Homer was at the “center of the group” (309). Homer doesn’t only stand out by making people laugh but the “center” of the towns’ gossip.

The towns’ people believe Homer and Emily will get “married” and the towns people said Emily “will marry him” and ” persuade him yet”. Homer’s attention didn’t stop when they “are married” nor did it stop when he suddenly vanished after staying at Emily’s. William Faulkner depicted this particular outsider, Homer Barron as flashy and out-going, but at the same time Faulkner etched the name Homer Barron into the towns’ peoples’ heart as a tormented victim of a very selfish crime from a misunderstood women.