Social Norms In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

In the short story “A Rose For Emily” by William Faulkner, Emily represents the decay of social norms in the old south. Emily clung desperately to the former traditions that the south once adamantly followed, but with her death, many of these traditions appeared to die as well. She displays her refusal to evolve with time through various instances in the story from her extremely outdated home to her passé moral beliefs. Emily embodies a metaphor for traditional values no longer in use, making her a monumental figure for those living nearby. Her unhealthy need for consistency ultimately leads to Emily’s silent but eventful downfall. The house of Emily Grierson is described at the beginning of the story as being the last remaining home of its

We learned that Miss Emily had been to the jeweler's and ordered a man's toilet set in silver, with the letters H. B. on each piece” (Faulkner 82). Emily appeared to be preparing herself for marriage, and word spread quickly throughout the town. She began adapting to a lifestyle with her newfound love which enthralled those around her because she had so greatly tarnished her family name that had once strongly represented the old south’s traditions. This leads everyone to believe that Emily is finally taking on a life of her own apart from her father’s reign, and stepping outside the boundaries of societal norms. Once she begins to get comfortable, Homer takes matters into his own hands skewing her desired path to marriage that would once more reinforce tradition. It is believed that Homer decided whilst dating Emily that he was not set on marriage at all, and planned to go his separate ways. This pushed her to make a dire decision, “‘I want some poison," she said to the druggist. She was over thirty then, still, a slight woman, though thinner than usual, with cold, haughty black eyes in a face the flesh of which was strained across the temples and about the eyesockets as you imagine a