A Rose For Emily Symbolism

Faulkner uses alot of symbolism in his short story "A Rose For Emily," to express the issues in Southern Society and the resolutions of the problems. The character of Emily is supposed to represent people who didn't accept the new south and the people who wanted to stick to old southern traditions, like racism and white royalty. Emily, who lived during the prime years of the old south, tried to keep the old south traditons even after her father's death, she thought that she shouldn't be taxed because she was of confederate decent. Also, Emily had killed her husband, who was considered a yankee in the town, and that behavior was present during the old south era. Emily lived in the past, and the town enabled her to do so, like the old mayor allowed her not to pay taxes. The house that Emily lived in also represented the old south in that it was getting old and falling apart, and about when this story took place the old south was going down and making the transition to the new south. Also, the towns people represented the new south becuase they were of a new generation and valued the new southern ways, but the townspeople allowed Emily to do whatever she wanted and kind of enabled her to carry out the old southern traditions, like when she made the man at the pharmacy give her poison to kill her husband. The town leaders though I think represented the new south and the new south's ideas, because they tried to catch up with Emily on her taxes and tell her she was no better than anyone else. The older people in the town represented the old south and its traditions and the younger people the new south and its traditions. Through symbolism Faulkner conveys a deeper message in the story, he uses various elements of literature to describe the changes the South is facing and about to face, and he uses vivid descriptions of the characters to convey the view of various groups of people within southern society. Faulkner describes the issuses that may occur between the old south followers and the new south followers through strong symbolism.

Faulkner uses “A Rose for Emily” to address themes of change and progress, especially as it relates to the American South. Although he describes particular individuals within Jefferson (Miss Emily, the older men and ladies, the town leaders), he seems to be using them as symbols for the larger issues that the South was facing at the turn of the twentieth century.  Discuss how Faulkner addresses the themes of progress and change in the South.

New South vs Old South

In the southern states before the civil war, those who owned plantations had slaves and were mostly wealthy land owners. On occasion, plantations in the area would come together to have parties or discussions about current events. When the civil war was going on there were dangers everywhere and something as simple as getting a doctor was now a difficulty. People had to be aware of their surrounds because they never knew when they might be attacked by the Yankees. After the civil war was over with, the south changed quite a bit. Slavery was abolished so the income in the southern states dropped significantly. There were also changes in personal beliefs. For example, not everyone was willing to accept African Americans as equals to them while others were all for it. These differences in the south still go on today to some extent.

Old and New South

After the Civil War the South experienced many changes to its environment and in its nature. The Civil War greatly affected the South and changed the way the South operated, the war changed the Old South to the New South. The Old South consisted of arrogance, self confidence, racism, and an economy that depended on slave work. Before the Civil War there was a sense of arrogance among the Southern people, they thought that they were going to win the war very easily and that it was going to be a walk in the park for them. The men and the women were so confident before the war that the men were excited to depart for the war, and there were many celebrations among the people of the South before the war had begun. Before the war, the white people in the South took advantage of the black people and used them for slaves for labor, and didn't recognize how terrible that they were treating the african americans and the people had grown accustomed to being waited on by the black people and didn't realize how much they depended on the black people to keep their society going. Once the war had started, most of the men were gone and the women of the south had to do much more work and keep up with most of the men's duties while they were gone. Eventually, the Southerners had learned that they were not prepared to fight the war and didn't have the quality or quantity of weapons the North did, and many towns held drives where the women would donate alot of their jewelry to the men so that they could produce weapons. After the war the South officialy made its transformation into the New South, the New South was poor, due to the fact the economy was down due to no slaves, and destructed from the South's terrible defeat in the war. The people also began to realize their mistreatment to the black people and how they would have to move on without their slavery, and find new ways to boost their economy. The New South was very different compared to the Old South, the economy was in the drain, the land was destructed, and the citizens were going to have to make many personal changes, the Civil War truly had changed Southern Society.

The new and old south

Prior to the Civil War, the white southerners lived a life of luxury and became completely ignorant to the world around them due to their false sense of security. The wealthy plantation owners and their families would spend their days attending evening balls and group gatherings, while the slaves worked long and hard hours in the fields. When their was news of a civil war beginning between the southern states and the northern states, the south's arrogance led them to be unprepared for what was in store for their people. Besides dealing with the high rate of casualities and injured men, the families whole style of living came to a sudden halt, and they were forced to adapt to the destruction and lack of help. Towns were demolished and all houses were ransacked. The "New South" consisted of men and women, who had previously not worked a day in their life, to now having to earn a living using any means possible. Land, which was very valuable to them, was lost because the families could not meet the tax requirements. Overall, the self-esteem of the southern states diminished and in order for them to keep going, everyone's sates of mind had to change.

There are many differences between the "old south" and the "new south" before and after the civil war. Many of the changes that occurred were directly related with the civil war and the fight for the freedom of blacks in the southern society. In the "old south" southerners were especially arrogant and self assured, they also didn't do the work that made them money instead that was the slaves job. When the idea of having a war over slavery rose in the south many thought that it would be a quick battle that would be easily won, due to the arrogance of the idea that this would change nothing in their society while they fought they did not think of the things needed to win a war. For example, in the north there were mines and more supplies for guns and their bullets but in the south all there was was the assurance that they would win. As the war began and went on, at first, their didn't appear to be any changes except for those to the soldiers who were actually fighting. After a while the army was so far behind in men and supplies, as was the yankees, it began to show more and more that they were not equipped nor did they have the knowledge to fight and win a war. After the war or during the rise of the "new south", most everything was desolate and sad. Many houses and much land had been burned so that they could not wield good crops, also many of the animals that they had once had had been stolen by the yankees as they slowly progressed, winning many battles that made it so that they could do those things. Also, along with the "new south" came the realization to southerners that they would now have to bein working and living off the land themselves with what little that they had left and high property taxes imposed by the controlling army of each area. Now, many of the southerners, lost in a sense, learn to live with what they are given and to try not to show the army tht they are erally hurting due to less money and less hands to do the work that was once being done.

The "old" and "new" south

The civil war changed the face of this country in many ways.  Specifically examine the south during this period of transition.  What impact did the civil war have on southern states.  Describe what is meant by the terms the "old" south and the "new" south, highlighting and discussing differences in the south before and after the civil war.