The Symbolice Meaning of Emily by: Deanna Rice
When we imagine the Old South, certain images come to mind. We undoubtedly think of upper classes rich not only in wealth, but also in power and honor. We also think of the struggles of the Old South, including the invasion of northern ideas and the South's staunch resistance to change. In Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily" he uses Emily to symbolize the dying of the Old South.The symbols of wealth are apparent throughout the story. Most notably, Emily is fat, which in the 19th century often denoted wealth, as eating well was a privilege enjoyed strictly by those who had money. Perhaps a stronger symbol, however, is Emily's house. Faulkner describes the house as "a big squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street." Faulkner continues, "Only Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps" (26-27). Here, Faulkner shows the Old South as a dead civilization, and he suggests that Miss Emily is indeed its personification. The description of the house as squarish an
d white with scrolled balconies and a small dome immediately conjure up images of old southern estates. Unfortunately, slavery was the means by which the upper classes achieved this wealth, and is represented in the story by the presence of the servant. This establishes that this mayor was part of the upper class, representing the old southern ways. Everything about Miss Emily reflected the Old South. " With the death of Miss Emily also came the death of the Old South, and the beginning of the new. He runs as real slaves ran at the conclusion of the Civil War, the real death of the Old South and certainly the death of its "peculiar institution. Many people of the community never talked to her or even bothered to visit, but when she was buried the entire community came to say farewell. However, Faulkner tells us that the white is fading and the home itself is in decay. . They were saying goodbye to a part of their history that many of them had not thought about or had forgotten. They thought of her as a part of their history. The black servant conducts himself like a slave for almost the entire story. This disregard of her agreement shows that even the most sacred part of the Old South, its code of honor, was dying. This can be described as the obligation of a member of the nobility to behave with honor and dignity (30). Once she dies, symbolizing the death of the Old South and their ways, he runs away.
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Acceptance Essays
