'A Rose For Emily'

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that like Faulkner's previous dichotomous works, "A Rose For Emily" details the stressful position of a South in transition, of the treacherous relationship between the rich and the poor, and the painful experience of a transition from tradition to modernity for the Southern old money, or large, patriarchal families. The paper explains that Faulkner explores the decay of the Southern, patriarchal family tradition with the literal decay of Emily's father, Homer Barron and Miss Emily herself. The further points out that, through an exploration of Emily's relationship with society, including Barron, and her father, one can conclude that William Faulkner uses "A Rose For Emily" to depict the death of traditional Southern culture. The paper concludes that through his use of symbolism in "A Rose For Emily," Faulkner urges modernization, in hope that humanity may overcome and prevail.

From the Paper:

"In addition to the conflict of old South Miss Emily and new South institutionalized society, the conflict between Miss Emily and the personal side of society is not much different. The ladies of the old South respected Emily's family name even after her father dies and she remains a widow with some strange habits, sending their children to her for china painting lessons. The women of the new south, however, share no such commiseration with Miss Emily, refusing to send their daughters to china painting lessons, advocating the removal of her smell by force, and sending for the Baptist minister--a direct affront to Emily's family status, as they were Episcopalean--to address what they saw as her moral shortcomings. Furthermore, Emily's inability to have a romantic relationship with Homer once again calls attention to the disconnect between Emily's south and Homer's. Instead of becoming one with Homer's new south, Emily kills him and keeps him in her own personal sanctuary in an attempt to preserve not only him, but also life as she thought it should be. Thus, neither as an institution nor as a personal refuge can old South miss Emily and new South society be reconciled."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Faulkner, William. "A Rose For Emily." Literature for Composition. Barnet, Sylvan,
• Burto, William E., and Cain, William E. Eighth Edition. New York: Longman, 2007. 701-705.
• Faulkner, William. Nobel Prize Speech. 10 Dec. 1950. Rpt. on William Faulkner on the Web. 28 Sept. 2008. 28 Sept. 2008 <http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/faulkner/lib_nobel.html>.
• Padgett, John B. "The Fa(u)lkner Family Tree." William Faulkner on the Web. 17 August 2006. 28 September 2008 <http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/faulkner/wf-genealogy.ht

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