Authors traditionally use symbolism as a way to represent the sometime intangible qualities of the characters, places, and events in their works. In his short story "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner uses symbolism to compare the Grierson house with Emily Grierson's physical deterioration, her shift in social standing, and her reluctance to accept change.When compared chronologically, the Grierson house is used to symbolize Miss Emily's physical attributes. In its prime, the Grierson house is described as "white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies" (Faulkner 315). This description suggests that the house is built ...view middle of the document...
In its prime, the house was "big," and "squarish," and located on Jefferson's "most select street" (315). This description gives the reader the impression that the residence was extremely solid, and also larger than life, almost gothic in nature, and seemingly impervious to the petty problems of the common people. The members of the Grierson family, especially Emily, were also considered to be strong and powerful. The townspeople regarded them as regal. Moreover, Emily, as the last living Grierson, came to symbolize her families, and possibly the entire south's, rich past. The townspeople's revelation of Emily soon decayed, however, once it was rumored that she was left no money, only the house, in her father's will. Also, her scandalous appearances with Homer Barron further lessened her reputation in the public eye. And, perhaps inevitably, the prestige and desirability of the Grierson house fell right along side Miss Emily's diminishing name.Perhaps the most significant comparison occurs when the Grierson house is used to symbolize Emily Grierson's unwillingness to accept change. Emily Grierson held tightly to her family's affluent past. A good example of this occurred when representatives were sent to her home to collect her delinquent taxes. She completely rejected her responsibility to the town by referring the men to a time when the since departed mayor, Colonel Sartoris, "remitted her tax...
