Set in the Reconstruction Era, when the South was forced to relinquish control of its power to the North after the Civil War, William Faulkner's famous short story, 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 transforms from a young girl into a mysterious old recluse. Miss Emily's struggle can be described in a three-part process in which Miss Emily has no control over her world, then gains control of it, and finally is 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. Describing a portrait of the two together, the narrator states: “Miss Emily, a slender figure in white in the background, her father a sprawling figure in the foreground; he has his back to [Miss Emily] and is holding a riding crop,” to describe the control Miss Emily’s father has over her (Faulkner 3). Miss Emily's father stands in front of the photo while Miss Emily stays behind him, showing 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 turned back suggested his disregard for Emily's emotional well-being” (Qun 67). The pristine white color of Miss Emily's dress conveys the idea that she is an innocent child. The dark "spreading silhouette" projected by Miss Emily's father hovers over Miss Emily, suggesting that Miss Emily is in the middle of a paper......she feels she needs to kill to trying to maintain control of his world. As George Orwell once said, “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of giving it up” (Goodreads). Emily's power came from the control she had finally achieved; she had no intention of giving it up. Works Cited Dilworth, Thomas. "A Romance to Kill for: Murderous Complicity in Faulkner's 'A Rose For Emily'." Studies in Short Fiction 36.3 (1999): 251. MAS Complete. Internet. April 12, 2014. Faulkner, William. “A rose for Emily.” Np: np, nd 1-8. A rose for Emily. University of Virginia. Internet. April 11, 2014. Owell, George. “We know that no one ever takes power with the intention of giving it up. » » Good reading. 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. Print.