A review by avesjreads
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

4.0

To William Faulkner, the American South was an expansive, cultural member of the United States and rich with community and land, yet plagued by a history of slavery and severe wealth inequality. In this short story by him, “A Rose for Emily,” Miss Emily is representative of what remains of the “Old South,” the Confederate era. However, with the Civil War and the passing of the Reconstruction amendments, a newer generation has become “the backbone and the spirit” of Miss Emily’s town. Faulkner uses this conflict to emphasize the importance of letting go yet remembering the past sins of the American South. Miss Emily belongs to an aristocratic family with a black servant, and during the high times of antebellum culture, her family, the Griesons, most likely held a lot of power, yet with power comes corruption. With the death of Emily, her house is opened to the public and the sins of her past are set out plainly for all to see, for the with the end of her life, is simultaneously the end of the old world of the South.

Even today, US citizens still possess a love and hate relationship with the South. We love the cheap (relative) housing and the economic opportunities as a member of the sunbelt, but we loathe the politics that attempt to control and restrict marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ and trans communities. Perhaps we as a nation may never fully reconcile with the South’s attitude and culture, but we can do our best to lay down “backwards” and discriminatory beliefs to rest.