Postbellum south was a controversial period for many. Plantation life collapsed through the abolition of slavery and fundamentally new times were on the horizon. Some embraced the future with open arms, and some resisted it with their best efforts. Every aspect of life became a whole new ballgame which meant things must be reformed in high volume areas. Previous habits, concepts, designs were all subject to be replaced with much good reason. In William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, he takes readers on a southern gothic tale of a mysterious incident involving a woman who is reluctant to leave the ways before the war in the past even though her society is changing form around her. Faulkner portrays change in the social structure of the American
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She is the readers reference point into understand how the social structure of southern life was relatively arranged. Readers get their first glimpse at Miss Emily’s obsolete mentality when she expresses her personal justification for not paying taxes. Stating “I have no taxes in Jefferson” (452) to the city authorities shows that Emily believes she is above the regulations of the other citizens and entitled by the name of her fathers contributions. Quickly readers become aware that she lives in her own version of reality and like many opponents of change, refuses to acknowledge the present time for what it is. Blatantly refusing to explain her need for arsenic to the druggist after he notified her that “the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for (454) only magnifies Miss Emily’s disregard for authority. With all possible tenacity, she fights off the modernization of the surroundings she still has control over. She repetitively made her disgust for transition known, she went so far as to forbid the …show more content…
His influence is the key role in Faulkner’s presentation of how the south was beginning to shift. Northern chunks of culture settling into Jefferson is what his arrival represents. This shows just how much the societal structure is diminishing it’s prior formation. Where southern traditions once reigned, they are now dwindling and being replaced by fresh design from people of northern lands that some had considered enemies. The importance of Homer is his significance to the upward mobility of the community. The physical element of change Homer brings can be seen throughout the streets after the “contracts for paving the sidewalks” (453) finalizes. This tangible object of change is the first of many in transforming what's left of the old south. Homer’s lack of interest in marriage could arguably be another one of his flamboyantly northern qualities. Furthermore, the suggestion that Homer is interested in men would have been completely taboo for a society in this period. Change is rolling in energetically and Homer is a huge character mimicking what the future would continue to look
She is the readers reference point into understand how the social structure of southern life was relatively arranged. Readers get their first glimpse at Miss Emily’s obsolete mentality when she expresses her personal justification for not paying taxes. Stating “I have no taxes in Jefferson” (452) to the city authorities shows that Emily believes she is above the regulations of the other citizens and entitled by the name of her fathers contributions. Quickly readers become aware that she lives in her own version of reality and like many opponents of change, refuses to acknowledge the present time for what it is. Blatantly refusing to explain her need for arsenic to the druggist after he notified her that “the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for (454) only magnifies Miss Emily’s disregard for authority. With all possible tenacity, she fights off the modernization of the surroundings she still has control over. She repetitively made her disgust for transition known, she went so far as to forbid the …show more content…
His influence is the key role in Faulkner’s presentation of how the south was beginning to shift. Northern chunks of culture settling into Jefferson is what his arrival represents. This shows just how much the societal structure is diminishing it’s prior formation. Where southern traditions once reigned, they are now dwindling and being replaced by fresh design from people of northern lands that some had considered enemies. The importance of Homer is his significance to the upward mobility of the community. The physical element of change Homer brings can be seen throughout the streets after the “contracts for paving the sidewalks” (453) finalizes. This tangible object of change is the first of many in transforming what's left of the old south. Homer’s lack of interest in marriage could arguably be another one of his flamboyantly northern qualities. Furthermore, the suggestion that Homer is interested in men would have been completely taboo for a society in this period. Change is rolling in energetically and Homer is a huge character mimicking what the future would continue to look