The short story A Rose for Emily is praised to this day for its narrative, plot and perspective on people’s flaws. It tells about a woman who is reluctant to acknowledge the passing of her loved ones. What complicates the situation is the town officials’ reluctance to report the unpleasant smell of the dead bodies. Although it may seem rather surprising, it may be interpreted as an allegory for the South’s denial of their demise in the Civil War and some modern-day Americans being reluctant to acknowledge the atrocious deeds of the Confederacy.
The main character is interpreted as rather odd by the townsfolk. Her reluctance to accept the changes surrounding her becomes her definitive quality (Faulkner, 7). From a literary standpoint, it can present how denial can make a person disconnected from reality (Sullivan, 159). The town feels strong pity for the woman and is reluctant to confront her (Akers, 249). Another interesting feature of the story is the couple of main topics of the work: the changes in the South and societal issues in general (Strohmer, n.d.). These themes are emphasized by the titular character as well, as she shocks townspeople by dating a man from the north, in spite of previously being nostalgic for the past.
It is interesting to note that some Americans are also blinded by nostalgia, regardless of how negative some events may be. General William Sherman was previously seen as a powerful figure, but upon proper review, he provided context for the South’s failure (Moody, 25). What makes this kind of nostalgia troubling is that the Lost Cause myth distorts many people’s minds to this day (Gallagher, Nolan, 32). This emotion has been addressed by Mayor Mitch Landrieu, as he notices that some Confederate monument supporters are misguided while others are evil (Carr, 1032). The third reason to excuse this delusional grief is the preservation of Southern culture (Chamberlain, Yanus, 125). Thus, one can see how engraved this feeling is in the minds of some Americans.
However, reviewing this chapter in history can be beneficial as well. Diaries by people like Presbyterian minister Isaac Handy add extra context to the events (Williams, 433). Moreover, it reveals unusual historical chapters, such as the rise of Confederate delusion in California and Robert E. Lee’s support of slavery (Waite, 33) (Cox, 2021). Thus, by receiving extra details about the Civil War era, interpreting Emily as the representation of misguided nostalgia and reviewing the sentiments surrounding the Lost Cause, one can come to the valid conclusion that the binding ties are yet to be removed.
Works Cited
Akers, Tim. “A Rose for Emily.” JC Library, Gale, 1999. Web.
Carr, Kelly M. “”Lost Cause” Memories and Cultural Amnesias: Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Tragicomic Speech on Confederate Monument Removals.” JC Library, 2021. Web.
Chamberlain, Adam, and Alixandra B. Yanus. “Monuments as Mobilization? The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Memoralization of the Lost Cause.” JC Library, 2021. Web.
Cox, Karen L. “Five Myths about the Lost Cause.”The Washington Post, 2021.
Faulkner, William, and Noel Polk. A Rose for Emily. Heinle & Heinle Pub, 2000.
Gallagher, Gary W., and Alan T. Nolan. The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History. Indiana UP, 2000.
Moody, John W. Demon of the Lost Cause: General William Tecumseh Sherman and the Writing of Civil War History. 2008.
Strohmer, Shaun. “A Rose for Emily.” JC Library, Gale, 2014. Web.
Sullivan, Ruth. “The Narrator in “A Rose for Emily”.”JSTOR, 1971.
Waite, Kevin. ““Lost Cause” Goes West: Confederate Culture and Civil War Memory in California.”University of California Press, 2020.
Williams, Timothy J. “The Intellectual Roots of the Lost Cause: Camaraderie and Confederate Memory in Civil War Prisons.”Project MUSE, 2020.