In the story “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner uses the southern gothic style to explain the story. Southern Gothic Literature was used to describe death, decay, change, and sinister acts in a southern version. His form of literature was used mainly during and after the American Civil War. In the story “A Rose for Emily” Faulkner uses southern gothic literature to describe death, decay, and sinister acts. Firstly, the death of the “Old South” is occurring. The American Civil War has happened and many things have changed in the south. Buildings, people, and the way people think has changed. The buildings that once stood, now are in ruins. The people that lived their usual life’s can’t no more due to change around them. Their ways have also changed. The story takes place during the reconstruction era. The reconstruction of the south was used to rebuild what was destroyed during the American Civil War. As the south was …show more content…
Furthermore, the “Old South” is in a state of decay. Many fundamentals of the south are now being phased out and replaced with new ways of life. Slavery was widely used before the Civil War. It was what the south depended on and after the Civil War, the south found difficulty functioning without it. The outlook on Women being inferior to men changed. The class system that had separated everyone into Aristocrats and the poor had changed as well. In addition, new buildings were being constructed. Similarly, there is the decay of Emily’s house. The house Emily lived in was in a state of decay just like the south was. It had lost those who took care of it. Since then it was on an irreversible road of decay. Moreover, Emily herself was decaying. She was aging physically and emotionally. Her teachings were obsolete due to change within the south. Physically, her hair was turning grey and growing old. She wasn’t marriage material due to her age and was overlooked. This contributed to Emily not leaving her