William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily: An Analysis

Through a series of its own renaissances, the South has become a vast organism; it is ever-changing, unique, and cognizant. Literary works that arose from the South are the breath of this organism, and Southern Gothic literature has risen from the South as a way to exercise the thoughts of this creature. The fabled and tumultuous history of the South has shaped the minds therein and caused an addiction to the past, leading to the development of thoughts separate to the rest of the United States. William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily,” illustrates this romance with the past which the South has clung to as a result of its history. Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily” is teeming with historical references; Emily’s own manor
As a result, the Southern states had to submit to the changes whether they were willing to or not. Knowing this, it is not surprising the South held on to the issue of race for so long. Faulkner is conscious that the South has held onto these derogatory terms and has implanted them into the speech of the story’s occupants. The mayor, Judge Stevens, even states “[the smell] is probably just a snake or a rat that nigger of hers killed in the yard.” A political figure, the mayor, has used this derogatory term, yet back then the South would have seen it as a norm. The usage of the words “negro” and “nigger” illustrates that legislation may have changed, but the mindset of the South has not. Ultimately, the heartbeat of the South lies in its past, which is evident in Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily.” Through the personification of Emily as the South and multiple historical references, Faulkner has encapsulated the South’s sentiment regarding its history. Southern Gothic literature was written during a political and social transition; as a result, the genre’s works reflect the South’s glorification and romanticization of the