How Does A Rose For Emily Change

The story, "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner, is about an old woman, Emily Grierson, who lives in the South post-Civil War. It details her life and how the town of Jefferson sees her. Faulkner expertly uses symbolism to develop his characters and the plot. He uses Emily to symbolize the South and its resistance to change, the town to represent new ideas, and a rose to symbolize love and decay. One of the story's draws is the mystery surrounding Miss Emily and her odd behavior, and Faulkner's use of symbolism adds to the uncertainty and strengthens the themes of change and decay.
Emily symbolizes the refusal to change or adapt. In the story, Emily refuses to pay her taxes, saying, "I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained

On page 36, it states, ". . . the newer generation became the backbone and the spirit of the town" (Faulkner). This quote illustrates how when the town's young people grew up, they became the town's soul. In addition, as time goes on, Emily is left behind as the town embraces new ideas. When they attempt to implement new ideas, such as mail numbers and taxes, Emily rejects them and continues with her own life. The town's constant change and Emily's refusal to adapt result in an increasingly alienated and isolated woman with a deteriorating mental state. Emily's family's elevated status is being forgotten with every passing year, and she is simply the crazy old woman in town, a remnant of the glory of the South. This is yet another example of how the new overtakes the old and builds on one of the major themes of the decay of the old world order. However, some speculate that the town actually represents the oppressive social norms of the time, seen as members of the town begin to gossip about Emily's relationship with Homer Barron and her odd behavior throughout her life. While this may be true, the town more strongly aligns with the motif of change in the story and how it affects

Not only does it represent love, but also decay. In the story, Homer Barron and Emily appear to be courting, but while Emily is in love, Barron states that he is not the type to settle down, implying that Emily is more devoted than he is. In order to prevent change and ensure her love is returned, Emily poisons him and sleeps next to his body for nearly 40 years. After her death, and the town finally finds his body, the room is described as rose-colored, with the light streaming in through the windows being rose-tinted from the curtains. This symbolizes how Emily sees her deed as an act of love and figuratively sees the room with Barron's body through rose-colored glasses. It also shows how Emily was driven to murder due to love. However, it paints Emily as a sympathetic character, one driven to madness by love and a father who would not let her take a suitor in her younger years. In addition, it represents the decay of Emily's social standing within the town and her sanity. Another interpretation of the rose is a salute from the author to Emily, a way of honoring her story, though macabre, through symbolism. Although she was mentally unwell, she was driven to that by her strict father and oppressive town, and this short story is Faulkner's way of paying homage to that. The tale is the author's figurative rose to