A Rose For Emily Tradition Analysis

Some people are able to do whatever they want with little to no consequences. While others may do one small thing wrong and will have to suffer for it the rest of their lives. In “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, Emily Grierson gets away with everything she does and no one has the courage to say anything to her. Emily is a tradition in the small town of Jefferson. She is a living monument of the past and traditions the people of the town wish to respect and honor. For that reason, no one wants to upset or offend her. Her last name is one of wealth and prestige and her family has been valued for many generations. Although that time has now passed, the town still honors her and her family’s past reputation. “Alive Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care” (Faulkner 527). Emily does not to follow the law when she refuses to pay taxes or give a reason for buying the poison but the town allows her to do these things because of what her family used to be many years ago. Secondly, pity is a reason that Emily gets away with so much. The town is
When she refused to pay her taxes the Board of Aldermen went to her home and attempted to get her to make a payment. Emily simply told them that she had no taxes in Jefferson and vanquished them from her home and nothing else was said about it. An aunt of hers had went insane and perhaps the town feared she was insane as well so they stayed as far from her as they could. Whenever there was a problem that needed to be discussed with Emily a meeting was always called first because everyone was too afraid to mention the problems to her. When there was a strong odor coming from her home the men waited until midnight to sneak into her yard and sprinkle lye around the foundation of the house. They were all too afraid to offend her. “‘Will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad’”