Summary

The whole town went to the funeral of Emily Grierson. It was held in a large house, decorated in a garish, baroque style, in what once was the best of neighborhoods, an area now invaded by cotton gins and garages. She would be buried in the cemetery, beside the remains of distinguished neighbors, whose houses had long surrendered to the perverse progress of the new, commercial neighborhood, along with, of course, some soldiers of the Civil War, from both sides, buried anonymously, but with honor.

Emily was respected by the men of the town. They had gone to her funeral to pay their respects. However, the women had a different perspective. They had been driven by curiosity. After all, no one, except one solitary servant, had been inside her house in ten years.

Emily had the curious distinction of having her...