Symbolic Roses for Emily

One of William Faulkner’s most famous stories is “A Rose for Emily,” the story of a woman who represents the Old South to the people who live in her town. However, Emily, who is revered as a symbol of the past by the townsfolk, also has a dark side, and Faulkner uses her to develop one of his more common themes, that the past was not as glorious as we would like to think it was. In this story, Emily denies the passage of time and holds on to the past in spite of the consequences of denying the present. Faulkner uses many symbols in the story to develop his theme. Some, like the decay of the house or the watch hidden in Emily’s waistband, show the passage of time. Others, like Emily’s statement that the aldermen should “[s]ee Colonel Sartoris” about her taxes, show that she denies reality because, as the narrator points out, “Colonel Sartoris has been dead almost ten years” when Emily makes her request (56). Faulkner also develops his theme through the symbolic use of...