William Faulkner, "A Rose For Emily"

For no apparent reason except perhaps that I enjoy reading aloud, I read this story aloud. I rarely do this except when I have an audience to listen, as I listened so attentively to my father as a child when he read Briar Rabbit aloud and animatedly. My walls were attentive listeners. Hearing the words as well as reading them brought out more rhythm and imagery to this short story, I could see and hear the ladies gossiping about Miss Emily because as an animated reader I had to make a quick decision how those words ought to be said. I wouldn't say that the language is particularly difficult to read, although those words that attend the most to imagery may be cause for pause such as "coquettish" and jalousies (which I learned is a peculiar word for a blind or shutter with adjustable horizontal slats) or cabal (a small group of secret plotters; a clique). This last word, once its definition had been obtained, was cause for pause with me, because I hadn't exactly imagined the townspeople as aligned against Miss Emily during the story, but rather a group of various positions and knowledge of her. I supposed before that they would just as easily gossip about the pastor that they asked for help or the general store owner as her. Upon re-reading, I realize that it is narrated mainly from "we" and that supports the introduction of an image of mostly malicious individuals. However, what to do about the context within which the word is introduced: "By that time it was a cabal, and we were all Miss Emily's allies to help circumvent the cousins" (127)? A cabal of people outside who have picked this time to be her ally for their benefit? We're not given any further information exactly about their intentions here. Or necessarily anywhere else, they are mostly speculative and voice a negative opinion only when it infringes upon their comforts - such as smells and bodies not put properly to rest. Can we conclude that Miss Emily was crazy as a consequence of her resting beside her love who we presume she poisoned with the arsenic? No, because we are given no indication that those things are the certain correlation of events due to the reader being aligned (against their will?) with the 'outsiders'.