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.