Faulkner's "A Rose For Emily"

Conflict and Jefferson

The main source of conflict in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is two cultures out of sync with each other not meshing well. Emily Grierson represents the last bastion of the old Southern lifestyle and the aristocratic-like ladies of the old South. To add to this conflict, Mr. Grierson was extremely overprotective of Emily while he was living and essentially crushed any hope of her living a normal and happy life.

Even within the town leadership, there existed conflicting cultural differences and this was only within a generation, perhaps two at most. On this council, there were “three graybeards and one younger man, a member of the rising generations.” Conflict between council members is first shown during the portion of the story where the people smell an awful stench wafting from Miss Emily’s property. The younger man suggests just sending her a note telling her to clean her place up, while the older men, specifically Judge Stevens, are of the old stock and cannot fathom telling a lady that she or her home smelled offensive.

The sensitive nature of sex out of wedlock stuck discord in the town as well. After Mr. Barron and Miss Emily had been together for some time, the townspeople just accepted that this sin was happening. They considered it a bad example to set for the children and forced the Baptist minister to confront Miss Emily at her home (they felt it uncouth to do it themselves, or were they afraid?). He returned from the Grierson homestead with the conflict unresolved and refused ever to go back.

Finally, as Miss Emily passes, we find the most glaring point of divergence in the story. This conflict exists between the lovers, Emily and Homer. In opening the room that had long been locked, the townspeople discover what had been foreshadowed long before. Mr. Barron wished to leave, to carry on his life while Miss Emily wished only to be together forever. She won this fight. This point of conflict made Emily a murderer and ended the story on a bizarre note.