Monday, March 15, 2010

Why does Tobe stay with Emily in the story A Rose for Emily?

In A Rose for Emily, Tobe stays loyal to Miss Emily until the end of the story when she has died. There are many expert opinions on why he stays, especially since it's pretty likely he knows about the dead body in the closed room. I have always thought it had to do with the fact that Emily's family were once plantation owners and would have owned slaves. It's possible Tobe was a relic of that time period, and stayed with her for a variety of reasons. Maybe he stayed because it was all he knew in life. He'd been with the family for so long that he wasn't sure what to do, possibly even afraid to be out on his own. It's also possible that he stayed because he thought he had to wait until she died to leave. Or it was just plain loyalty Tobe felt to the family. Miss Emily was giving him room and board, and he didn't know what to do and where to go when he left.


For more information on the story, see the link.

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