William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is about Jefferson, Mississippi during the post-Civil War era. It focuses on the life of Emily Grierson and the conflict Emily has with her father, the townspeople, and Homer Barron. In this story, Faulkner explains the emergence of the industrialized South and how the old agrarian South resists transition to the more modern, industrialized world. A Rose for Emily is narrated by the townspeople who look back on the life and death of Emily Grierson and the affects her father’s existence had on her. After her father’s death, Emily completely isolates herself from the town and is shunned by the townspeople. The town’s passivity towards Emily’s actions made her feel superior and contributed to her strange behavior.
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In the story, Faulkner states that “...our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument…” (Faulkner 670). Even when the townspeople find out that Emily is a murderer, they still feel a sense of respect for her. They respected her ability to still hold old traditions ("A Rose for Emily Paper"). When the town was gossiping about her relationship with Homer Barron, she kept her head high. Facing adversity with dignity is an important traditions of Southern culture. The townspeople dislike Emily’s arrogance and her superiority, but they continue to give her special privileges because of her status in their society. Emily’s house smelled and in order to avoid any problems with Emily and deal with the complaints, Judge Stevens ordered men to spray lime on the house to stop the rotten smell emanating from it (Faulkner 669). While the older generations condemn Emily for her relationship with Homer Barron, the “newer generation” did not. The “newer generation” understands better that she did what she did to keep hold of a love that had been denied her by her father’s protectiveness ("A Rose for Emily Paper"). The narrator, from the “newer generation”, has sympathy for Miss Emily because attitudes had altered from when she was a young woman. Faulkner shows the changes in generational attitudes towards
In the story, Faulkner states that “...our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument…” (Faulkner 670). Even when the townspeople find out that Emily is a murderer, they still feel a sense of respect for her. They respected her ability to still hold old traditions ("A Rose for Emily Paper"). When the town was gossiping about her relationship with Homer Barron, she kept her head high. Facing adversity with dignity is an important traditions of Southern culture. The townspeople dislike Emily’s arrogance and her superiority, but they continue to give her special privileges because of her status in their society. Emily’s house smelled and in order to avoid any problems with Emily and deal with the complaints, Judge Stevens ordered men to spray lime on the house to stop the rotten smell emanating from it (Faulkner 669). While the older generations condemn Emily for her relationship with Homer Barron, the “newer generation” did not. The “newer generation” understands better that she did what she did to keep hold of a love that had been denied her by her father’s protectiveness ("A Rose for Emily Paper"). The narrator, from the “newer generation”, has sympathy for Miss Emily because attitudes had altered from when she was a young woman. Faulkner shows the changes in generational attitudes towards