Aesthetics

Decay is all around us. In the ground, in our food, even in ourselves. In the short story ?A Rose for Emily? by William Faulkner, the theme focusses around decay, but to a much more disturbing level. It is easy to find examples of this theme because of this completely oppressing feeling throughout the entire story. The most important example of this symbolism, however, is the house which Emily lives in. Like Emily, and the whole ?Old South? way of thinking, it began as a regal, beautiful thing. When it was first built, to the people of their small town, that building was the ultimate symbol of power and wealth. It was ?set on what had once been our most select street?, where all of the other rich plantation-owners built their mansions.