William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" describes a typical women in the old south. The main character, Emily goes through a great ordeal. Emily meets a black man from the north, named Homer. Emily and Homer spend much of their time together, and eventually, Emily falls in love with Homer. After much time passes, Emily decides she should marry Homer. Emily goes to the wedding store and buys a wedding gown, a wedding ring, and many wedding gifts for Homer. The townspeople think Emily and Homer will marry soon, but suddenly Homer stops visiting Emily's house. The townspeople think he left, but this does not happen.. Emily buys rat poison and kills Homer with it. The townspeople have no idea what happens. Some of the people in town notice a rank odor coming from the house. Several of the townspeople complain to the mayor, but he can not go to Emily's house and tell her she smells. After Emily's death, several of the townspeople go into her house to investigate. They find, in one of the upstairs bedrooms, wedding gifts, rings, a wedding dress, and the body of Homer decomposing. Next to him is a gray hair.

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" shows aspects and themes of many southern writers during the Southern Renaissance period. In the short story, "A Rose for Emily," Faulkner uses a gothic style of writing. While reading the work, one pictures a dark gloom. The dark gloom is present every time someone enters Emily's house. Faulkner's description of the atmosphere helps give the reader the gothic sense about the story. Several of the authors during the Southern Renaissance portray a gothic style of writing. Faulkner also falls in line with the rest of the writers of the Southern Renaissance with his use of theme. Throughout "A Rose for Emily," one can see the common theme of love.