What Does Southern Culture Symbolize In A Rose For Emily

Many writers use symbolism in a story to reveal a deeper meaning in context to the overall story. In the story, “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner successfully uses symbolism to show how the culture of the old South is decaying as the newer generation is beginning to adapt to the ways of the North following the war and abolishment of slavery. Faulkner uses several instances of symbolism including the aging of Miss Emily Grierson, her decaying home, and rejection of change to represent the decaying culture of the old South. As Miss Emily ages throughout the short story, she is an overall representation of the weakening of the southern culture. Her years getting older in general is symbolic of how the Southern culture has been around for a
while. As a person moves towards old age, they weaken. Likewise, as the Southern culture has been around for years, the base is beginning to weaken as the times change. With age Miss Emily’s hair begins to turn a color that Faulkner describes as “iron-gray”. This color is symbolic of the solidity of the Southern culture and how it is viewed during a certain period of time. As the culture has been a way of life for many in the community for years, the gray is also symbolic of the space between black and white. The gray represents an area or situation in which it is difficult to judge what is right and what is wrong – which is a conflict in the story between the community adapting to the ways of the North and Miss Emily clinging to the ways of the old South. As Emily ages she also becomes a recluse. At one point in time she belonged to a well-known prestigious family. Her shift in society represents how the southern culture was once prominent in the South but after the war began to lose its value. In other words, the culture is decaying. Miss Emily’s home was once considered a monument of the town, but as the years pass its value begins to depreciate. During a time period when the Southern culture was thriving, so was Emily and her family. Faulkner uses this point in the story to symbolize how the Southern culture is losing its value as well. Over time the house is no longer being taken care of as it once was. This is symbolic of the neglect of the Southern culture over time to adapt to the ways of the North. As the culture decays, no one but Emily is putting forth any effort to keep it alive. Later in the story, it is revealed that once Emily dies her home is filled with dust. Faulkner also uses this to symbolize how the values of the old South have become stagnant. Just like Emily’s home, as time moves forward, the Southern culture is being forgotten. Miss Emily’s refusal to adapt to the culture of the North represents how the Southern culture is being preserved by older members of the community. Emily rejected every change that was put in place to align the culture of the south with that of the north. She overall represents that there were people who were not ready for that change. At one point in the story, Emily is advised that she needs to pay her property taxes. She refuses and that is respected only due to her family once being a prestigious position in the community. Nonetheless, this is symbolic of the respect that remained for the Southern culture. She also refused to have a mailbox placed on her home which is representative of the fact that she wanted to know nothing about the changes coming forth. Overall, Faulkner uses these instances of symbolism to show how the Southern culture began to decay in the south as they adapted to the culture of the North. There was still some unnamed respect for Emily and the culture by the community, but it was time for change.