There are three men in Miss Emily's
life.
The first is her father. The second is Colonel
Sartoris. The third is Homer Baron.
Miss Emily's father is
an over-bearing, controlling, cold man of the old South. He rules his daughter's life
with an iron fist, dictating who she can and cannot associate with. He has little regard
for her as a woman; she lives constantly in his shadow for his entire
life.
Colonel Sartoris, who runs the local government after
Emily's father passes, treats Miss Emily like a delicate flower, like a true gentlewoman
of southern society. When she raises concerns about paying taxes, he dismisses back
taxes and excuses payment for the rest of her life—in the fashion of a true southern
gentleman. This is a man who knows how to treat a woman as gently as one would expect,
especially for a woman on her own.
The last man in Emily's
life is Homer Baron. He is a wild young man, handsome, virile and popular with the
ladies. He is flashy and gregarious, and she is seen in his company a number of times.
It is assumed, when Emily orders a man's sterling silver brush and comb set, that there
will be a marriage between the two very soon. When Homer leaves town, everyone believes
he goes to prepare a home for them after the wedding. He returns briefly and is never
seen again. (It is, of course, his body the town officials find at Emily's death,
resting in her bed, nothing but a skeleton.)
All three men
are regarded highly by the society in which they live. They are the epitome of members
of the genteel society of the South. Each one is a powerful man in one way or another.
Although they each treat Miss Emily differently, she is dependent upon them for
different things. Miss Emily's father supports her; Colonel Sartoris "rescues her" from
taxes; and, Homer Baron entertains her and makes her feel
special.
All three of the men in Miss Emily's life are
different in who they are, but similar in what they mean to her.
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