Rough Times

I really enjoyed reading A Rose for Emily by William Falkner. Falkner’s morbid humor in the story made it very unique. The economy in the story reminded me of the Great Recession. Similar to the family in the story, many people that were well off before the recession hit, went from being middle class Americans, to living in poverty. The Great Recession affected jobs, the housing market, and even education.

The Great Recession began in late 2007. Due to a decrease in consumer spending and business investments, the unemployment rate rose sharply. According to the Labor Market of America, the labor market lost 6.1% of all payroll employment. Like the family in A Rose for Emily, family incomes dropped, and poverty rose.

[http://stateofworkingamerica.org/great-recession/]

Obviously, because of the Recession effect on the job market, it devastated the housing market as well. People were laid off, businesses closed, and consequently homes were foreclosed. Like Emily in Falkner’s story, families could no longer afford their mortgages. Here is a clip on the housing market and how consumers were affected by the economy:

[http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/20/housing-foreclosure-unemployment-opinions-columnists-thomas-cooley-peter-rupert.html]

At a time when education was needed the most, the aftermath of the Great Recession even affected America's schoool systems. One school system impacted the most was the Chicago School System. State and local budget cuts and teacher reforms led to the Chicago Teachers Union strike in 2012. Though education may not be immediately comparable to Falkner’s story, the lack of education could have been partly responsible for Emily’s naiveté.

[http://www.thestate.com/2012/09/12/2438758/chicago-teachers-strike-comes.html]

In conclusion, A Rose for Emily is an interesting, yet morbid short story. The economy in which the story takes place is comparable to the Great Recession. The story is about a girl named Emily who was born into a wealthy family. During this time, the South became a depressed place, and people had begun to struggle. This is similar to the economy during the Recession when millions of people lost their jobs and homes.