A Progressive Society In William Faulkners A Rose For Emily

Society changing and progressing around us forces us to adapt, we cannot resist growth in a progressive society. Change in society spurs change in us and how we see the world. William Faulkner, the author of the short story based on a woman dealing with loss and transition in the post civil war south, â€Å"A Rose For Emily†, elaborates on the idea of how impossible it is to stay constant and prevent change in a progressive society. In the time period of the book the whole United States is working through a giant change after the abolishment of slavery, although some citizens did not know how to address that change and wanted to refuse it. In the narrative, through themes and motifs, William Faulkner claimed that, while in a progressive society†¦show more content†¦At one point in the short story, it is said that there is a wretched scent coming from Miss Emily’s house and, instead of finding out why, the Old generation simply covers it up by sprinkling lime ar ound her home to cover up the scent. With all that the Old generation did for her, it is evident that, to them, Miss Emily was some sort of prized possession, one that was not to be touched. However, as time went on, the Old generation moved on and the New generation came into play. Those of the New generation called a meeting to speak with Emily about the taxes that she had not paid in many years, with the intention of getting her to pay them again, just as every other person in the town did. As this was brought up to her, Miss Emily quickly became offended and defensive, ultimately telling the city authorities to â€Å"See Colonel Sartoris,† who had passed away many years ago, because she refused to believe that she had to pay taxes in her city, because the Old generation had convinced her that she would never have to. The more that the New generation and the society around her developed, the more Emily fell behind and struggled to keep up with the changes that were being m ade around her. This resulted in Miss Emily hiding herself away in her house for many years, as an attempt at escaping the changes being made to the society that she once knew so well. At someShow MoreRelatedThe Past Is Never Dead By William Faulkner1755 Words   |  8 PagesHuman society in today’s world is certainly a never stop moving type stigma where everyone is always on a mission of sorts. In fact, we are viewed as lazy if we stop to truly dwell on the past. It’s all about moving forward into the future: the concept of bigger, better, faster, stronger. Some people view time in a different matter though. William Faulkner once wrote â€Å"the past is never dead. It’s not even past.† In his short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, Faulkner displays this notion through Emily Grierson