Analysis of A Rose for Emily

Often in society, preconceived notions and ideas obscure facts. Many people believe things on the basis of tradition, rather than relying on signs that say otherwise. In William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose For Emily,” the town allowed Emily to get away with murder because their attitude toward her blinded them from obvious clues.
Viewed as a “fallen monument”(26), Emily Grierson was put on a pedestal by the inhabitants of Jefferson, Mississippi. Since Colonel Sartoris remitted her taxes after her father’s death, Emily was seen as part of the tradition of the small town. The interest in her life held by the townspeople was passed on from generation to generation, as her life progressed. City officials did not force her to pay taxes, although city records showed no signs of remission. The judge also ordered that lime be put around her house, instead of accusing her to her face of smelling bad. This idea that Emily was above others was held mostly by the ol...