Set in the Reconstruction era, when the South was forced to relinquish control of its power to the North after the Civil War, the famous tale by William Faulkner, A Rose for Emily, focuses on the human struggle for control, through the life of a Southern aristocrat, Miss Emily Grierson. The town watches Miss Emily as she matures from a young girl to a mysterious old recluse. Miss Emily's struggle can be depicted in a three-part process in which Miss Emily is not in control of her world, then gains control of it, and is ultimately faced with the loss of that control. The reader follows Miss Emily's story from the town's perspective and later discovers how far Miss Emily is willing to go to maintain control. As a young girl, Miss Emily has no control over her world. Instead, every aspect of Miss Emily's life is controlled by her father. In describing a portrait of the two together, the narrator states: “Miss Emily is a slender figure in white in the background, her father a reclining figure in the foreground; he has his back to [Miss Emily] and holds a riding crop,” to describe the control Miss Emily's father has over her (Faulkner 3). Miss Emily's father is in front of the photo while Miss Emily remains behind him, which shows that Miss Emily's father is clearly the dominant figure in their relationship. Dr. Xie Qun of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law also suggests, “His turning away suggested his disregard for Emily's emotional well-being” (Qun 67). The spotless white color of Miss Emily's dress conveys the idea that she is an innocent child. The dark "reclining silhouette" projected by Miss Emily's father looms over Miss Emily, which suggests that Miss Emily is c...... center of card ...... feels she must kill in an attempt to maintain the control over his world. As George Orwell once said, “We know that no one ever takes power with the intention of giving it up” (Goodreads). Emily's power came from the control she eventually gained; he had no intention of giving it up. Works Cited Dilworth, Thomas. “A Love Story to Kill For: Murderous Complicity in Faulkner's 'A Rose For Emily'.” Short Fiction Studies 36.3 (1999): 251. Complete MAS. Network. April 12, 2014.Faulkner, William. "A rose for Emily." Np: np, nd 1-8. A rose for Emily. University of Virginia. Network. April 11, 2014.Owell, George. “We know that no one ever takes power with the intention of giving it up.” Goodreads. Goodreads Inc. and Web. April 12, 2014.Qun, Xie. “Canadian Social Sciences.” Analysis of Changing Portraits in “A Rose for Emily” 3.2 (2007): 66-69. Press.