William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and John Cheever's "Reunion" succeed in telling stories not only to entertain, but to make statements about class difference. Faulkner and Cheever describe the emergence of a new generation to suggest the passing of an older upper class. Both stories feature younger characters who leave people of the past behind, despite their class differences, widening the natural rift between socioeconomic classes. The writers convey the passing of a wealthy generation for a middle-class dominated society through perspectives of the narrators, specific symbols, and choice of settings.
With Faulkner’s first-person plural perspective and Cheever’s first-person, the authors frame the concept of a passing upper class. In …show more content…
Faulkner uses historical context to do this. In "A Rose for Emily," Grierson's house is said to be on "what had once been [the] most select street," whose "garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names" (Faulkner 1). From this description, it is clear that there is a separation between the upper and lower class in this town, and the working class is increasing. Set in the 1890's, after the Civil War, the existence of wealthy plantation owners is fading from the town and there is an influx of immigrants, leaving Grierson as the sole remainder of past domination of the rich (1). The clash between a majority of middle class residents and one wealthy individual, sets Grierson apart from the town and contributes to her isolated death, leaving a working class town. Cheever achieves the same effect through the physical places themselves. For example, it is mentioned that Charlie lives in “a cottage on the Cape” with his mother, and his grandmother is “in the Adirondacks” (1). However, his father is in New York and does business in areas such as Grand Central Station (1). This establishes a difference in classes between Charlie and his father as his father is wealthy enough to live in the heart of an expensive city. Specifically, this story features New York in the 1960s, when restrictive immigration laws were being loosened and a greater variety of people entered the city. This is when New York settles into its identity as a "melting pot" city and classes are mixing. Various people of the working class begin to outnumber elitists, such as the father in the story. Choosing to place "Reunion" at this time and place establishes socioeconomic boundaries between the characters and the domination of the working
With Faulkner’s first-person plural perspective and Cheever’s first-person, the authors frame the concept of a passing upper class. In …show more content…
Faulkner uses historical context to do this. In "A Rose for Emily," Grierson's house is said to be on "what had once been [the] most select street," whose "garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names" (Faulkner 1). From this description, it is clear that there is a separation between the upper and lower class in this town, and the working class is increasing. Set in the 1890's, after the Civil War, the existence of wealthy plantation owners is fading from the town and there is an influx of immigrants, leaving Grierson as the sole remainder of past domination of the rich (1). The clash between a majority of middle class residents and one wealthy individual, sets Grierson apart from the town and contributes to her isolated death, leaving a working class town. Cheever achieves the same effect through the physical places themselves. For example, it is mentioned that Charlie lives in “a cottage on the Cape” with his mother, and his grandmother is “in the Adirondacks” (1). However, his father is in New York and does business in areas such as Grand Central Station (1). This establishes a difference in classes between Charlie and his father as his father is wealthy enough to live in the heart of an expensive city. Specifically, this story features New York in the 1960s, when restrictive immigration laws were being loosened and a greater variety of people entered the city. This is when New York settles into its identity as a "melting pot" city and classes are mixing. Various people of the working class begin to outnumber elitists, such as the father in the story. Choosing to place "Reunion" at this time and place establishes socioeconomic boundaries between the characters and the domination of the working