William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is perhaps his most famous and most anthologized story. Since it was first published in 1930, this story has been analyzed and criticized by both published critics and the casual reader. Noted literary critic and author Harold Bloom suggests that the story is so captivating because of Faulkner's use of literary techniques such as "sophisticated structure, with compelling characterization and plot" (14). Through his creative ability in the use of such techniques he is able to weave an intriguing story full of symbolism, contrasts and moral value. The story is short, but it covers nearly seventy-five years in the life of a spinster named Emily Grierson. Faulkner develops the character of Miss Emily and the events of her life not only to tell a rich and shocking story, but also to represent his point of view on the plight of the South after the Civil War. Miss Emily becomes the canvas in which she paints the customs and traditions of the Old South or the antebellum era. The story “A Rose For Emily” becomes symbolic of the plight of the South as it struggles to deal with change with Miss Emily becoming the tragic heroine of the Old South. Growing up in Mississippi in the late 19th century and early part of the 20th century , young William Faulkner witnessed firsthand the struggles his beloved South endured during the slow progression of Reconstruction. These experiences helped develop Faulkner's writing style. “Faulkner deals almost exclusively with the Southern scene (with) the Civil War… always behind his work” (Warren 1310. His works, however, are not so much historical in nature but more akin to folk traditions. In this way Faulkner is not forced to keep the details accurate, he instead manipulates the story to share his opinions leading the reader to draw moral conclusions or lessons from his experience. He writes often and “with sympathy for the older order of pre-war society honor, (and). was capable of heroic deeds” (Brooks 145) both traits that Faulkner admired. These sympathetic views are revealed in the story “A Rose for Emily” with Miss Emily becoming a monument to the South pre-war. “A Rose for Emily” is a story about Emily Grierson killing her Yankee boyfriend Homer Barron and living with his body in her bedroom for over forty years..