Final answer:
The narrator's view of Miss Emily in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" evolves from respect to a mixture of respect, pity, and horror, reflective of Southern culture's emphasis on tradition and privacy. The discovery of the grey hair signifies Emily's long-term, hidden intimacy with the dead Homer Barron. The narrator's acceptance of Emily's actions suggests a Southern reluctance to confront disturbing realities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrator's opinion of Miss Emily in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" evolves from a respectful admiration to a complex sense of pity, horror, and continued respect despite her macabre actions. The transition in the narrator's view reflects the Southern community's complex interplay of respect for tradition, social status, and personal eccentricities. Initially, Emily is seen as a dignified remnant of Southern aristocracy. However, as her unsettling behaviors and secrets, including the murder of Homer Barron and her macabre attachment to his corpse, come to light, the town's view shifts. The continued respect shown by the narrator even after Emily's morbid actions could suggest a deep-seated value for privacy and an understanding of the extreme human heart in conflict, which Faulkner contends is the essence of good writing.
The discovery of a single grey hair on the pillow next to Homer Barron's corpse at the end of the story signifies Miss Emily's long-term intimacy with the deceased, highlighting the depth of her denial and the severity of her inability to accept loss or change. This evidence of a life lived in secret companionship with a corpse is both chilling and tragic, symbolizing her ultimate surrender to her own isolation and delusions.
The narrator's acceptance, rather than outright condemnation, of Miss Emily's actions may suggest an aspect of Southern culture that is bound by traditional respect for one's neighbors, a reluctance to confront uncomfortable truths, and an inclination to maintain appearances, even at the cost of ignoring or rationalizing disturbing realities.