"A Rose for Emily"

In Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" there is an absolute progressive conflict. After our group discussion I believe that the strongest conflict displayed can be characterized as Man vs. Nature. In this case nature wouldn't be the typical member of our wildlife, but it would be the passing of time. I found this to be represented through three different ways: dust, hair, and death. I, at first, did not see the dust as a huge importance until we identified how much it was really saying. "When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl, with a vague resemblance to those angels in colored church windows-sort of tragic and serene." (Faulkner. 208) Emily's hair was spoken of numerous times in the story, each describing a different time period. Death was an obvious part of nature that was talked about of her father as well as the man she wished to marry.
I think that everybody battles conflict within themselves, but in this story Emily especially develops a conflict which can be characterized as Man vs. Self. I found the way she tries to hold on to the past and all the expectations she was told to uphold were both examples of this battle.
The last conflict, Man vs. Man, was the most common conflict shown. Her father, who had driven away all the men he believed were not good enough for Miss Emily, is an example of this conflict. Another example would be the man she hoped to marry, but who was said to have more of an interest in men as opposed to women. The talkative townspeople and the small town's city authority, who came with constant tax reminders also contribute to this conflict.

Source:

Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." Literature, reading, reacting, writing. Thomson Wadsworth. compact sixth edition. Boston: Michael Rosenberg, 2007. 206-212.