Nowadays, it's not so shocking when women get pregnant out of wedlock, same-sex people get married, and people step outside their race. However, before today these events caused quite a stir. Often when we read literature we fail to realize the role that time period plays in the underlying meaning. This is the case of William Faulkner's story, A Rose for Emily, set between the late 1800s and early 1900s in a town far south in Mississippi. During this time many things that were acceptable in 2017 have since become frowned upon. Reading this story, set in a very different era from today, you discover how much things have changed. William Faulkner uses Emily's relationship with Homer and other members of society to reveal the theme of tradition versus change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the story it is evident that Emily represents change, while the townspeople embody established traditional values. The contrast between the two reveals the effect that social rules can have on a person. At the beginning of the story it is mentioned that “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation to the city” (Glaspell 205). Emily Grierson, even in death, is not seen as a human being with feelings or interiority, but is simply seen as a fallen monument. Throughout the story his value and reputation to the city are recognized more than the hurt and pain he endures as a person. Even after her father's death she is not seen as a grieving human being going through something traumatic, but instead the town is quick to mock her for her taxes. According to Terry Heller, “Emily, as an improved asyrsocracy, is a bit like the former slaves; it becomes a duty, an obligation and a care. The Colonel's apparently charitable action is qualified by his motivations, which seem to be based more on the maintenance of a rigid class order than on respectful affection” (Heller). From the context it seems that the city has more importance and life than the people who live there. It is revealed later in the story that "none of the young men were good enough for Miss Emily and the like" (Glaspell 207). This brings up another aspect of Emily's relationship with the townspeople: society's views on women. While it may be discussed briefly in history class, society's views on women during the Victorian era are revealed in greater depth through publications such as "A Rose for Emily." The way the townspeople behave in a riot of gossip due to Emily's lack of a husband and children shows the emphasis society has on family. During this era, women were expected to marry around age 25 and have already begun working with children. Therefore, the fact that Emily is 30 years old and has no husband or children goes against the established tradition of the country. William Faulkner's use of Emily's lack of family shows that rules must be broken and tradition must be changed. It doesn't use Emily to represent a woman who doesn't want to start a family, but instead uses her to represent a woman who wants to start a family on her own terms. He is a character who wants what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means breaking the tradition he once stood for before his father's death. Emily Grierson refuses to confide in the townspeople and their traditions, but instead she does.