A Rose for Emily takes place after the Civil War and into the 1900's in the town of Jefferson, Mississippi. It is a story of conflict between the old and the new South, the past and the present. Emily and the things around her represent the dying old traditions of the past, and the present is expressed mostly through the words of the narrator. Faulkner refers to Emily as a "fallen monument", a monument to the southern gentility, which existed before the Civil War. Her house is described as having once been white which is the color of youth, innocence and purity, and also of the white society but it is now decayed and smelling of dust and disuse. It stands between the cotton wagons (the past) and the gasoline pumps (the present). The Grierson house is also described by the narrator as "an eyesore among eyesores." Emily comes from an upper class family and grew up privileged and protected by her father. An agreement between her father and Colonel Sartoris, character we assume was a veteran of the Civil War and who also represented the old South with his edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron, exempted her from paying taxes. When the authorities decide to pay Emily a visit to try to collect the taxes due the town, Emily is wearing black, the color of death, and her eyes are lifeless. The narrator refers to them as "two small pieces of coal". Her dark attire describes the death of the old southern traditions. Emily wants to hold on to these traditions and her lifestyle, but change does not compensate for her feelings. First, Colonel Satoris dies, next her father dies, then the sidewalks are being repaved, and members of the new generation are taking authoritative positions. Emily becomes a recluse, staying inside of her moldy, ancient house, so that she can hold on to the past and forget about the changes taking place in Jefferson and in her. When she is seen, people take notice of her gr...