Emily Grierson Symbolism

In “A Rose for Emily,” is a conflict between the old south and the new south. Most of the people in the story are moving onto the new south, yet there is one woman named Emily that isn’t. The old south is represented by the main character named Emily Grierson that was a tradition, duty, and a care, and a heredity to the town. The new south is represented by the men and women of the town of Jefferson.

Emily Grierson represents what is left of the old South and is a symbolic character. At the beginning of the story Emily is vibrant and fresh in her youth, however, as the story progresses, she grows older and her spirit more deranged. She descends into madness, not only killing her fiance, but also sleeping with his corpse. She is portrayed as a falling moument. The town, even though it had begun to move away from the Old South, still holds onto a vestige of respect for the southern Grierson family and thus looks at Emily as a sort of monument. She is also a monument because she is the last person of the southern aristocracy in the town. Emily isolates herself after the death of her father and this is when almost everyone in the town starts becoming part of the new south except for Emily. She clings to the past doesn’t want to change. Emily doesn’t pay her taxes in the story because she says she doesn’t have to pay taxes in Jefferson and that the city authorities should go see Colonel Sartoris because

However, the townspeople were not able to face the turth and relaity of what was happening even though they knew what was going on, which is like the South. They weren’t able to be honest because they did’t want to own up to what they knew and did. They pushed it off until they couldn’t anymorelike they did in “A Rose for Emily.” They waited to go into Emily’s house to find the dead corps because they did’nt want to own up and be honest with themsevles like the