Diction In A Rose For Emily

William Faulkner's Southern Gothic short story, “A Rose For Emily” uses a slow cadenced, formal writing style to mirror the old fashioned values of the old south. The tale about holding onto old values mirrors in its own cadence and diction the qualities it attempts to undercut. This conflict between old and new is not unique to the tone of the work. The narrator’s use of the first person plural places the reader in a unique perspective through which we can voyeuristically gaze at the title character. The narrator's diction expresses both reverence and pity for “Emily.” These conflicting concepts serve as a gateway to analyze not just Emily but the narrator as well. A close reading of the text reveals that the narrator feels a sense of guilt
for the town’s treatment of Emily.The redeeming guilt casts the narrator as the protagonist in opposition to the antagonistic towns people.