The subject of the story is Emily Grierson, an elderly woman from the Southern aristocracy whose funeral is the responsibility of the town. The narrative is presented in a non-linear manner, with the narrator's recollections of Emily's archaic and increasingly strange behavior over the years. After the Civil War, Emily's family fell on hard times. She and her father were the last two surviving members of the family. Emily's father refused to allow her to marry, and his passing when Emily was approaching her thirties came unexpectedly. For several days after his death, Emily refused to relinquish his corpse, insisting that he was not dead. The townspeople attributed this to her grief. Emily was pitied for losing her father, who was all she had, and for his having prevented her from marrying.
Following her father's death, the only person seen entering and exiting Emily's home was Tobe, a black man who served as her butler and went out to purchase groceries. Although Emily was reclusive and did not have a strong relationship with the community, she opened up her home to offer art lessons to local children out of need for an income. She taught until she reached forty years of age. After accepting her father's death, Emily somewhat revived, changed her hairstyle, and befriended Homer Barron, a laborer from the North who arrived in town shortly after Mr. Grierson's death. This connection surprised some of the townspeople, while others were pleased to see Emily taking an interest. However, it is noted that Homer "liked men, and it was known that he drank with younger men at the Elks' Club - that he was not a marrying man," which drew attention to Homer's sexuality, but it was inconclusive if he was homosexual or simply disinterested in marrying Emily. Emily purchased arsenic from the town's druggist, who inquired as to the reason for the purchase due to legal requirements. Emily refused to disclose the purpose, and the druggist attributed it to a rat infestation in her home. Some townspeople were convinced that she would use it to poison herself. Emily's distant cousins were summoned to town by the minister's wife to oversee Miss Emily and Homer Barron. Emily was observed buying wedding gifts for Homer in town, including a monogrammed toilet set. Homer left town for some time, purportedly to allow Emily to get rid of her cousins, and returned three days later after they had departed. After he was seen entering Miss Emily's home one evening, Homer was never seen again, leading the townsfolk to believe he had ran off.
Emily's social status had changed over time, yet she still continued to behave in a mysterious manner, much like how she had before her father's passing. Due to her reputation, the city council was hesitant to confront her about a strong odor that had begun emanating from her residence. They assumed that Tobe, her servant, was unable to maintain the house, and that there was something rotting inside. To address the issue without confrontation, the council decided to dispatch men to scatter lime around the house under the cover of darkness, which helped dissipate the smell.
The town mayor, Colonel Sartoris, made a philanthropic gesture to overlook Emily's taxes as an act of kindness, under the pretext of honoring her father's memory, to soothe Emily's pride after his death. This informal arrangement was maintained for years. However, when a new generation came into power, they approached Emily about being subject to taxation. Emily, on the other hand, insisted on maintaining the existing informal arrangement, flatly denying that she owed any taxes, and stating, "I have no taxes in Jefferson." Following this, the council declined to pursue the matter further due to her obduracy.
Emily's reclusive nature had become apparent to the community, as she was never seen outside of her house, and only occasionally entertained visitors. The community eventually came to view her as a "hereditary obligation" on the town, who must be humored and tolerated.
Emily had become an institution, thus her death raises a lot of questions about her reclusive character and what remains of her home. Following her burial, a group of townspeople enters her home to see what remains of her life there. Tobe went out of the house and was never seen again, allowing the locals access to Miss Emily's residence. The door to her upper bedroom is locked. Some of the townspeople burst through the door to see what has been hidden for so long. Inside, among the things Emily had purchased for Homer, lays Homer Barron's decaying corpse on the bed. Emily had slept with Homer's corpse, as shown by the imprint on the pillow beside him and a solitary strand of gray hair. The house represents Emily's struggle to keep things the same in a frozen time period while preventing change.