"But garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood; only Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps an eyesore among eyesores."(pg 34)
My guess at what the word coquettish means is that it is used to describe something very raggedy or dilapidated. I interpreted the word that way because the word was being used to describe a old houses decay.
The actually meaning of the word was entirely different from what i had guessed. The word coquettish actually means to be flirtatious or to arose sexual interest in someone.At first i was quite confused as to how a old houses decay can be perceived as being flirtatious. However after a second reading of the sentence I came to the conclusion that the author is suggesting that due to the house being the last one standing among a neighborhood in ruins, the house looks very inviting, almost flirtatiously drawing your attention.
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