The changes that occurred in the southern states during the late eighteen hundredths and early nineteenth hundredths was met with harsh resistance. The civil war between the north and the south brought about these changes. One major change was the abolishment of slavery, the south wanted to keep slavery alive and well and was not happy to say the least when slavery was abolish. After the abolishment of slavery the south found new ways to repress the newly freed slaves. William Faulkner presented us with “A Rose For Emily” this short story gave us a beautiful insight into the life of one tragic woman named Emily who stayed emerged in her old world views and refused to see the world for what it was becoming. How does Emily’s refusal to accept the changes in the south lead to her demise?

The civil war brought about a new era in the southern states of America. The change that was most notable was the abolishment of slavery. The abolishment of slavery meant the aristocratic wealthy slave owners no longer had free labor, though this was met with harsh resistance the law made owning another person illegal. In Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” Emily acted as though she was unaware of the slavery abolishment because while Faulkner did not state outright that the African American man was the family’s slave the implication was absolute.  The “man servant” worked for Emily until she died and according to the text was hardly ever seen unless he was going to the market. During a time when the south was resentful and angry because of the changes that the civil war brought about especially abolishing slavery, the notion of letting go was difficult for many southerners (Faulkner, 6). According to James M McPherson author of “Out of War, A New Nation” the debate on slavery between the north and the south was such and outrageous debate that at one point Mississippi Senator Henry S. Foote brandished a revolver. Change is an extremely difficult thing, especially when that change affects your lifestyle and lively hood some people refuse to accept the change and carry on as if the change was never made and this is illustrated here with Emily (McPherson).

Change affects people differently and the changes in the south affected many people, some in catastrophic ways. The aristocratic families of the south that depended on slave labor to continue their businesses received a staunch upset to their lifestyle when slavery was abolished.  The families of the elite depended on the slave labor for many other things aside from slave labor. House slaves would perform a multitude of duties. The manservant that tended to Emily’s needs would be considered a house slave before slavery was abolished. Another area in which changes affected the aristocratic family especially in the southern states was their status in their community. 

Prior to slaveries abolishment, your wealth was calculated based on how large your plantation was and how much money you were making, this required a vast number of slaves, and many plantation had well over 50 slaves at any given time. Your wealth afforded you respect and status if you did not have wealth or status you were considered a “hill billy” according to Rudolf Herbele who did a study on the changes that occurred in the southern region. According to Herbele the term hilly billy had nothing to do with social class, it had to do with status. Where was your place in the community, plantation owners were well esteemed, any salaried employee was considered a hill billy.  Though it was evident that Emily’s family had little to no money after her father passing, Emily still considered herself above everyone else at least this is what we are lead to believe by the people in town. Of course the fact that Emily spoke to no one did not help her cause in any way (Herbele, 43).

How exactly are the changes that occurred in the south relevant to Emily both in a cultural and historical context? The culture of the south was vastly changing, Faulkner noted this when he discussed the garages and cotton gins that took over the neighborhood adding that Emily’s families outdated house was the only thing left standing which signifies her defiance of a changing culture (Faulkner, 1). 

Another way Emily defied the town and stayed in her old generations ways was refusing to pay taxes. Emily claimed she did not owe any taxes. The towns people all had to pay there taxes, except for Emily, though times changed Emily found no relevance in the changing times and dug her heals in and though the town was disagreed with Emily’s views no one dared challenge Emily, because she was looked upon as a “monument” a monument that the old generations would protect at all cost (Faulkner, 1). 

What exactly are the results of the changes that occurred in the south after the civil war? The once thriving economy of the south suffered greatly. The plantation owners had no one to work their plantation and many was reduced to a “hill billy,” they had to work their own plantations or higher other laborers to do the job for them. The lavish lifestyle of these aristocratic families came to a halt they no longer had the money to maintain such lifestyles and this increase there hatred and resentment towards the northerners. The northerners were a disgrace and the towns people made note of this when Emily started dating northerner extraordinaire Homer Baron, “ a Yankee, and a lover of men” the towns people criticized her to no end because “ no respectful southern would take him serious” (Faulkner, 4). 

Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily” gave us an insight into the mind of one deranged woman who thought that the changes that occurred around her daily did not apply to her. The old world attitude that Emily refused to leave behind hindered her progress in the ever-changing new world. Emily’s refusal to accept what was right in front of her lead her down a very drudger path that she did not recover from.
