Faulkner's A Rose for Emily

Word: spire

The word spire, according to Dictionary.com can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it signifies:

1. a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or roof-like construction upon a tower, roof, etc.

2. a similar construction forming the upper part of a steeple.

3. a tapering, pointed part of something; a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak,

4. the highest point or summit of something: the spire of a hill; the spire of one's profession.

5. a sprout or shoot of a plant, as an acrospire of grain or a blade or spear of grass.

Used as a verb the meaning given is:

to shoot or rise into spirelike form; rise or extend to a height in the manner of a spire.

On page 89, Faulkner states that Miss Emily’s house is “…decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies…” The word spire, for me, exemplifies what Emily Grierson was, a show of “tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.” Miss Emily is like a spire, an ornament that is used to achieve height but has no real value or importance in terms of the building’s structure.  Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is charged with oppositional concepts, including Miss Emily’s view of herself and how others view her, as well as what her status was when her father was alive and what it changes to afterward, financially and socially speaking. Faulkner provides various validation statements throughout the story of this conflict:  “The Grierson’s held themselves a little too high for what they really were.”p.91, “She carried her head high enough…”p.92. In fact, the word spire is contrasted with words like “…encroached…”p. 89, “…decay…”p.89, and  “…eyesore among eyesores.”p. 89.

I believe Faulkner intentionally chose to use the word “spire” because it alludes to elegance, class and stature, which is how Miss Emily views herself. The audience then is invited to view her as such by following the language, even though, as the story progresses, the view changes dramatically.