A Rose for Emily
by William Faulkner

In this story, Emily is a stereotypical stubborn old lady who is a fixture in the town. The townspeople even call her a monument. She refuses to change or even acknowledge chance. For example, when the town came to collect her taxes she refused to pay them because a previous mayor had told her father that he did not have to pay them. Then when they mentioned that that mayor was dead she said, "I have no taxes in Jefferson, Tobe!" and forced them out of her house. The people just put up with her. It seems like she is modeled after every typical old woman characters in books. However, Faulkner takes the stereotype a step further with her refusal to let Homer leave. She does not want the change that will come when he leaves, so she kills him and keeps the body. She does what she tried to do with her father; she tries to keep him around and pretends like nothing has changed.