Theme found in William Faulkners `A Rose for Emily`

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A Rose for Emily and Society in the Eyes of William Faulkner

William Faulkner is truly a remarkable writer . By writing a very short story about a spinster , he shows how society 's moral fiber can hinder the progress of a community . In A Rose for Emily ' the author chooses to reveal the growth of a town by using strong characterization , vivid settings and plot development

Faulkner 's protagonist , Emily Grierson , is the ideal symbol of how the moral fiber of

a person can stunt growth . Brought up believing that she was part of high society , Miss Emily 's character showed , through her perspectives , that she is not one to partake in its progress . She did not renovate her house which used to be stylish in its own decade and was very out of place among the garages and cotton gins (Faulkner par . 2 ) that signified community progress . She refused to put the metal number and mailbox when the postal service was upgraded - also a symbol that she refused to be a part of the society where she belonged . She also gave china-painting lessons , an art form that had long been considered a part of history and very traditional

Faulkner also brilliantly shows that aside from being stubborn about accepting modernization , Miss Emily 's refusal to move on symbolizes the way people can hinder societal growth with their beliefs or behavior Her refusal to accept her father 's death even after three days when the man passed away shows how her character clings desperately to the past for sanity and stability . The way she had poisoned Homer Barron is symbolic of how holding on to the past can be fatal to progress . She knew that her sweetheart was going to leave her and if this happens , she would not only lose the love she desperately wanted but also the pride that she upheld as a Grierson ' Murdering Homer , also considerably a symbol of modernization because of his job as a foreman for a construction company killed Emily 's chances of developing into a better person

Although the author prefers to focus the story on Miss Emily 's character , he also shows how other people 's attitudes toward each other can slacken the pace of progress . William Faulkner enhances this theme well by using other characters in the story to show how the moral fiber of the town slows down its development . Judge Stevens stuck to his gentlemanly ways when neighbors complained about the foul smell coming from Emily 's house . His reply , will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad (Faulkner 24 ) showed that he would rather keep his ethical beliefs than solve a crisis in the community . Col . Sartoris Emily 's reason for not paying taxes , symbolizes how the past can block any attempt in financial development as well . The silence of the Negro housekeeper Emily relied on for years also strengthens the contention that...