A rose for Emily analysis

            main character, Miss Emily is a stubborn and sheltered woman who refuses, or perhaps cannot except that the world around her is changing. She lives in her father's house in isolation with her Negro servant Tobe seemingly unaffected by time. Miss Emily was raised by her father and was taught that she was of a higher class then the rest of the town. The Griersons, once a prestigious family name, becomes part of the past and no longer holds such resonance. She was continuously reminded that no man was good enough for her, which then led to a life without the love of another man besides her father. Once her father dies, she refuses to come to terms with his death and repeatedly claims that her father is still alive. Her denial of death as well as time due to her life of isolation and warped mental state is directly related to her upbringing and sheltered lifestyle from her father. Instead of accepting events in her life that bring change, Miss Emily is determined to force her surroundings to stay familiar.
             Within this short story there are many characters that bring meaning to the plot. Along with Miss Emily and her father the other main characters include Homer Barron, Miss Emily's servant Tobe, Colonel Sartoris, Judge Stevens, and Miss Emily's mentally ill great aunt Wyatt. Although these characters do not share equal amounts of contributions to the story they all were given names, which implies that they had a significant purpose throughout the story. The secondary characters are people of the town who include, complaining neighbors, the druggist, the four men who poured the lime in the basement, the Baptist minister, his wife, Miss Emily's two female cousins, the mayor, and the aldermen. Through his characters Faulkner contrasted the past and present era. Miss Emily represented the past as well as her father, Colonel Sartoris, and Tobe. These characters defined what the past represented and how it was going to be continued.