A Rose for Emily

I found William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” to be an engaging, morbid tale that portrays a glimpse of change over time in the South. The town of Jefferson, the character of Emily, and the behavior of the townspeople all spoke to a changing era. Emily is described as “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.” She lived in a time past—one where her taxes had been forgiven ad infinitum and one where her father held a dominate position of authority in her life. She is eccentric, an oddity that the community both pities and disapproves. Emily refuses to put a house number on her home when the postal system is implemented, and she refuses to pay taxes when the town approaches her with her bill. She writes letters with ancient paper and faded ink. Emily is sealed in a time that is slowly passing away in Jefferson.

Faulkner notes that most of the townspeople and authorities who watch Emily are “the next generation, with its more modern ideas.” These men believe that the previous generation’s pardon of Emily’s taxes are bogus, replace antebellum homes with garages, and construct pavement throughout the town. This is the modernity that Emily cannot accept.

Yet, the townspeople seem to be caught in the crossroads. While in many ways they eager for the changes the new generation brings, still cling to many traditional Southern ideas. (The most prevalent traditional notion in the story is the idea that Homer, being a Northern laborer, is below Emily’s social status.)

The final revelation of the story—that Emily had murdered Homer and locked his body in her house, cements the idea of resisting change. By killing Homer, Emily has preserved him the way he is, for her alone. Emily cannot lose Homer to time, and also has conformed to the town’s traditional demands (she is no longer seen in public with Homer). Perhaps more specifically, Faulkner’s story is about the human fear of change—Emily refuses to accept the fact that her father has died, refuses to lose Homer to time, and refuses to accept modern demands (paying taxes, putting up house numbers). Instead, she locks herself away from the world, growing fat and turning grey.