The South and William Faulkner

A detailed Summary of The South and William Faulkner


The South following the end of the civil war was a region forced into undesired rapid change and disruption. Life for every Southerner as they had once known was completely altered forever. African-Americans were granted freedom; Northern carpetbaggers migrated to the South in search of money; and the grandeur of the elite white upper-class disappeared overnight. If William Faulkner's, "A Rose for Emily," were to have taken place in any other environment then the strong symbolism binding the death of Emily Grierson to the death of the great South would be nonexistent. Faulkner uses the tragic life of Emily to depict the tragic fall of the South after the Civil War.

Faulkner begins the short story with by referring to Emily Grierson as a "fallen monument." This "fallen monument" could also refer to the destruction left behind in the South at the end of the Civil War. Many homes and fixtures that had once been proud symbols of Southern heritage and grandeur were now left in shambles. Emily lived and died in a home that had been "set on what had been our most select street, " an


d by the time of her death was referred to as "an eyesore among eyesores." The rise and fall of Emily's life in her home also shadows the rise and fall of the South. Before the war Emily's home and family were a party to the elite south. The "confederate" mayor of Jackson forwent the taxes on her home after the death of her father. She was living the life of a true Southern Belle. After the Civil War Emily's life rapidly changed. She received letters form the tax collectors, people complained about the smell of her home, and her home fell into ruin. Life for Emily was in shambles. The decline Emily's life also symbolizes the decline of the South.

The South is commonly identified as being conservative and stagnant deeply entrenched in maintaining tradition. In the narrative, Emily continues to maintain some aspects of Southern life despite the constant restructuring of Southern society. She still keeps a Negro servant although slavery has ended. Emily is so stubborn to change that she still refuses to pay taxes on her home despite new changes in her local government. The

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 735
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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