Rosa Coldfield (Miss Rosa) Timeline and Summary

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Rosa Coldfield (Miss Rosa) Timeline and Summary

This character timeline is in chronological order. This isn't how things go down in the book, but we wanted to make it a little easier to follow. Even Faulkner wanted it that way (he includes a chronology in the book itself), so we feel okay about it.

  • 1845: Miss Rosa is born, and her mother dies in childbirth. This happened quite a bit back then, but it doesn't make it any less sad.
  • 1859: Our lady falls in love with Charles Bon from a photograph: she never actually meets him, but he's so studly, it doesn't really matter.
  • c. 1860: Rosa begins writing poetry for the Southern cause. A storyteller and a poet, to boot.
  • c. 1864: She moves out to Sutpen's Hundred, and the next year, begins dressing only in black.
  • April 1865: Rosa agrees to marry Sutpen, only to renege the next year when she finds out why he wanted to marry her (to bear a son). After this, she moves back to Jefferson.
  • September 1909: She summons Quentin to her house to tell him her stories about Thomas Sutpen. She also asks Quentin to escort her out to the big house: when they get to Sutpen's Hundred, they discover Henry Sutpen is living there. (!)
  • December 1909: Miss Rosa returns to Sutpen's Hundred with an ambulance, but before she can get there, Clytie burns down the house and Miss Rosa collapses.
  • January 1910: She dies, and Quentin hears about it through a letter from his dad.