A Rose for Emily

Although it was obvious Emily showed interest in Homer, the ladies in the community believed that the relationship was a "disgrace to the town" (86). The ladies then took it upon themselves and "wrote to Miss Emily's relations", basically controlling Emily's relationship with Homer (86). Emily somewhat copies the controlling actions of her father with the Negro slave, Tobe. He was always "going in and out", obeying the daily chores from her (83). He continues to live this way until Emily is no longer alive to control him. People that have lived a controlled life will be left ignorant to reality and confused about accepting change.
             It is through actions that Faulkner shows how a person accepts or denies change. Emily will not agree to pay her taxes, sternly telling the city authorities "I have no taxes", completely unaware of the modern laws (83). She told the men to "see Colonel Sartoris", a man who had been dead for over a decade (83). A person unable to accept change might believe any fictional story that tricks them from believing the truth. When offered the free address numbers for the new postal system, "Emily alone refused", proving that when challenging a person's traditions, that person might unconsciously deny a more organized system of society. Emily had a hard time accepting the death of her father. After his death, she told visitors that he "was not dead", unable to let go of the only man in her life (84). Emily may have kept his dead body around because the presence of him comforted her, almost as if nothing has changed. By not disposing his body, Emily has not had to face the reality of his death. Later, the community will describe Emily as passing from "generation to generation", her actions are always traditional (87). Although the Grierson house was once standing on the "most select street", it is now there alone in an urbanized neighborhood with "garages and cotton gins" around it (81).