Faulkner's story is titled "A Rose for Emily," not "A Rose for Miss Emily." What does his choice of title imply?

This is an interesting observation. Faulkner could very
well have chosen to use "Miss Emily" in his title, but he did not. Since authors are
very focused and selective in writing titles for their works, his choice wasn't careless
or without purpose. Faulkner's diction in the title points the reader toward themes in
the story.

Emily Grierson is a Southern woman born into a
once wealthy, influential, and socially prominent family; her family's fortunes and once
grand lifestyle are gone, but the Grierson name separates Emily socially from the
"common" citizens of Jefferson and demands that she live her life according to strict
standards of circumspect behavior. "Miss Emily" is expected to live up to her name,
which makes her a prisoner of the past and Southern
traditions.

As the story unfolds, however, Faulkner reveals
that the "Miss Emily" the town knows, watches, gossips about, and judges is, in fact, a
complex woman who has suffered from the weight of the Grierson name throughout her life.
"Miss Emily" is a Southern lady from a fine family; Emily is an isolated, lonely woman,
desperate for love and driven to madness. Who she is, really, is a secret from the town.
Faulkner's title points the reader to the private woman behind the public face and to
the tragedy of her life. It is Emily, not "Miss Emily," who deserves a
rose.