Argument Essay

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English 1302

29 June 2016

Learning from the Past

In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner uses the character of Miss Emily as a metaphor for the old south by showing her change from a beautiful young woman to an ugly spinster who clings to the past. Faulkner uses themes like death, decay, and murder to comment on the deterioration of the south, which is beautiful on the surface, into a bloated corpse. The topics Faulkner touches on in “A Rose for Emily” are as relevant today as they were in his time. It is very important that the history of a country is learned and remembered by its citizens, and literature is an effective way of teaching about history through art, which is why “A Rose for Emily” should be included in future composition courses.

While there are many proponents of teaching literary pieces like “A Rose for Emily” in English composition classes, some may argue that history like that which was discussed in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner should be taught only in history classes and that English and literature classes should be kept free of historical topics. This is because to them history is uninteresting and irrelevant in today’s society. These opponents of interdisciplinary teaching would prefer composition classes to concentrate on the mechanics of writing. To them, writing is a means to an end to develop career skills because employers prefer to employ those who can write and communicate clearly. Including history in a composition class would, to these people, take time away from more important tasks, like improving critical writing skills.

Conventional wisdom, however, has it that learning about history prevents repeating the same mistakes over and over again, something that is just as important for one’s present and future well-being as securing a good job. In the short story, Emily clings to the past, which can be seen in the way she treats the citizens of Jefferson when they come to her to suggest that she should pay taxes. In once particular instance, she even addresses a long-dead mayor: “‘See Colonel Sartoris.’ (Colonel Sartoris had been dead almost ten years.) ‘I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!’ The Negro appeared. ‘Show these gentlemen out.’” (Faulkner). At the end of the story, it becomes clear that she has been sleeping beside the dead body of her former boyfriend, whom she poisoned. Here again it is confirmed that Emily is literally “clinging” to the past. Faulkner depicts Miss Emily in a negative and sometimes even hysterical way, showing, through literature, how destructive it can be to be overzealous towards outdated traditions. Miss Emily symbolizes all that was wrong with the south after the Civil War, including Jim Crow laws and all those people who refused to let go of the former glory of the south. Miss Emily never realizes her mistakes, she simply dies.

While Miss Emily never learned from her mistakes, the readers of Faulkner’s short story can learn from them. Learning about history through reading a short story allows the reader to engage with history on a subconscious level instead of simply studying dates and names in history books. Faulkner does not simply list the bad elements of the old south, especially the way that privileged white citizens profited from slavery before the Civil War and treated African Americans as second-class citizens after it. He instead uses symbolism and elements of mystery to draw the reader in. He tells Miss Emily’s story from an outsiders’ point of view, which means that the mystery unfolds bit by bit and only gets resolved in the last few paragraphs. Anyone who reads or analyzes the story will not only see obvious signs of the racism of the time like the mention of a law that “no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron” (Faulkner), but to fully understand the central metaphor, one has to research that period in U.S. history. This will inform the reader about the post-war south, which, on the surface clung to a supposedly prosperous past, but underneath hid decay and rot like the suffering of the less privileged, e.g. former slaves.

In sum, then, reading stories like “A Rose for Emily” in English composition class is not only beneficial but necessary. It will benefit those who are interested in history, but it will be most helpful to those to whom history is a less engaging subject because the charm of literature makes history more easily understandable and brings it to life. Even though Faulkner’s short story is set almost a century in the past from today, it is still relevant. The repercussions of the old south and slavery and the post war period with its Jim Crow laws are still felt today. Learning about the mistakes of the past will help with building a better future. Literature, therefore, can be a wonderful way of getting to know the past and improving the present and future.

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." American Studies at the University of Virginia. U of Virginia, n.d. Web. 24 June 2016. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/wf_rose.html>.