Essay A Rose for Emily Antebellum South vs. Modern South

A Rose for Emily: Antebellum South vs. Modern South William Faulkner wrote, A Rose for Emily. In the gothic, short story he contrasted the lives of the people of a small Southern town during the late 1800s, and he compared their ability and inability to change with the time. The old or Antebellum South was represented by the characters Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, the Board of Aldermen, and the Negro servant. The new or Modern South was expressed through the words of the unnamed narrator, the new Board of Aldermen, Homer Barron, and the townspeople. In the shocking story, A Rose for Emily, Faulkner used symbolism and a unique narrative perspective to describe Miss Emilys inner struggles to accept time and change The†¦show more content†¦Homer entered her life by courting her publicly; by not wanting to marry her, he would have robbed her of her dignity and high-standing in the community. The ladies of the town felt that Miss Emily was not setting a good example for the younger people and their affair was becoming a disgrace to the town (75). The traditions, customs, and prejudices of the South doomed this affair from the beginning. Emily could not let Homer live, but she could not live without him. He was her only love. When she poisoned him with arsenic, she believed he would be hers forever. The symbolism between the past and the present was also shown in the beginning of the story when Faulkner wrote, Â…only now Miss Emilys house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and gasoline pumps Ââ€" an eyesore among eyesores. It was ironic that the same description stubborn and coquettish decay could be a description for Emily as well (71). As the house fell into decay, so did Miss Emily, She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water and of that pallid hue. Miss Emily was described as a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head (72). Traditionally, in the Old South people wore black while they were grieving the death of a loved one. The cane she usedShow MoreRelated A Rose for Emily Essay example1102 Words   |  5 Pages A Rose for Emily: Antebellum South vs. Modern South nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;William Faulkner wrote, â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In the gothic, short story he contrasted the lives of the people of a small Southern town during the late 1800’s, and he compared their ability and inability to change with the time. The old or â€Å"Antebellum South† was represented by the characters Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, the Board of Aldermen, and the Negro servant. The new or â€Å"Modern South† was expressed through theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesHistory and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence