Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery;” Romanticizing About the Past

Romanticizing about the past, as demonstrated in both Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” can be a harmful quest for the impossible. Although memories can be a healthy reminder of the past, attempting to relive them can be a fatal mistake. In “A Rose for Emily,” the main character Emily’s ultimate downfall is a result of her inability to live in the present and face the reality of the current times. Similarly, in “The Lottery,” the townspeople firmly believe in the importance of keeping the tradition of the lottery active, despite it resulting in their demise.
The main character in “A Rose for Emily,” Emily Grierson, is the submissive daughter of a Confederate soldier, a virginal, Southern woman, who struggles to relive the past, and to keep old traditions. Once her father dies, Emily continues to dwell on the power her family once had...