William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily" is a famous example of what some critics call the "Southern Gothic" genre, in which the close-knit qualities and the outdated customs of a Southern community lead to aberrant, sometimes grotesque behavior. There is a voyeuristic aspect to these stories, as if the reader is invited to observe the bizarre nature of aspects of life and beliefs in the South. Of course, observing "exotic" customs is not enough to explain Emily's beliefs and motivations for her bizarre and transgressive acts: murdering her lover and then living with his corpse for many years. However, there is considerable doubt as to the correct way to interpret Emily's thoughts and actions. There are two main schools of thought: while some critics seek a personal, psychological explanation, assuming that realism is a dominant factor in this story, other critics conceptualize Emily as a product and symbolic representation of her society. As such, Emily's actions are motivated not by an individual psychological profile but by a broader social dynamic. This second explanation is more feasible and convincing. Therefore, I would conclude that Emily's character is an allegorical representation of the South's struggle between conservatism and progress, and that her motivations and beliefs should be understood as those of the South in general. Some authors present compelling psychological explanations, viewing Emily as a realistic representation of a person. For example, Emily's relative isolation, living “…at odds with…[a] close-knit community” (O'Bryan-Knight 328), seems to define her social position. Initially, the rigor of his father and the vigilance on his part the community may have both... middle of paper...... Southern Gothic as a sign of social dislocation in Faulkner and O'Connor". In Downing , David B. and Bazargan, Susan. Image and Ideology in Modern/Postmodern Discourse New York: SUNY Press, 1991 Cho, Soo Hee. at: http://www.papersearch.net/view/detail.asp?detail_key=0u100694Dilworth, Thomas. "A Romance to Kill for: Homicidal Complicity in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily." (1999), pp. 251-62. Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” O'Bryan-Knight, Jean. “From Girl to Eunuch: William Faulkner's “A Rose for Emily.” Mario Vargas Llosa.” Studies in Comparative Literature Vol. 34, No. 4 (1997), pp. 328-347. Volpe, Edmond Loris., 2004.