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In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," we see how past events affect the life of the main character Miss Emily, especially her inability to accept change. Throughout the story Miss Emily goes to extreme measures to protect her social status. Miss Emily lives in the past to shield herself from a future that holds no promises and no guarantees. William Faulkner illustrates Miss Emily's inability to accept change through the physical, social and historical …

…social prestige is the highlight of her life and in order to protect this she has to live her life in the past. Upon her death, however, the town learns about Miss Emily's secrets and the life she really lived. Miss Emily's attempts may have worked, at least in her mind, but now the town of Jefferson will not remember the Grierson family as one of high social status, but rather as one of insanity.