Resistance To Change In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

Throughout life many people face many hardships and large issues such as financial issues, discrimination, divorce, and death. Dealing with a tough situation and attempting to overcome it can be extremely difficult for a lot of people. William Faulkner portrays the larger issues that the South was facing at the turn of the twentieth century. During the time period, the south suffered racial discrimination and major political change. In his short story, A Rose for Emily, author William Faulkner underlines the theme of resistance to change and the effects love can have on a person. The suspenseful and mysterious short story does not start off in chronological order but rather travels back and forth in setting and time without clear transitions. The story foreshadows/opens with Emily Grierson’s funeral in which the whole town attended. Even though she was placed on a pedestal by the townspeople who thought of her as “a tradition, a duty, and a care” she was viewed as scornful and arrogant. Following Miss Grierson’s funeral, the story goes back in time to illustrate her childhood. As a young girl, Emily is cut off socially by her father who drove off all her suitors. When he dies she refuses to accept his death for three days, “She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body.” After the three days, the townspeople intervened and buried her father