In "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, what is the smell that Miss Emily's neighbors complain about in section II?
William Faulkner's writing often features the Southern Gothic literary tradition. Derived from the Gothic tradition, which became popular in late eighteenth-century Europe, Southern Gothic fosters a grotesque, suspenseful, and mysterious atmosphere for readers. The smell in "A Rose for Emily" works throughout the story to create a Southern Gothic tone, particularly in Section II. While this section does not disclose the source of the smell, it does build suspense and encourage readers to engage critically with the story. Section II acts as a flashback in which the reader learns about the curious, offensive smell. The opening line sets the mysterious tone for this section, as the narrator explains that Miss Emily vanquished the men who called on her in Section I "just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell" (n.p.). This line creates a sense of mystery not only about the smell, but about Miss Emily's character as well; it esta...