The sidewalks in "A Rose for Emily" may signify, first and
foremost, moving toward the future, as well as the advent of change. The fact that
Jefferson County even considered the repaving of sidewalks indicates that this is no
longer a town who's still asleep and dreaming of its once great past; Jefferson county
is now up and moving, clearly showing that they are opening their doors to whoever
chooses to walk down its streets.
The sidewalk project is
also significant because this is how Homer Barron, a Yankee, enters the town, makes a
notorious name for himself, and somehow sweeps Emily off her feet. Homer, who was one of
the construction workers assigned to the projects, seemed to have made quite the image
for himself, leading people to think of him as brash, and vulgar, and some even thought
he was attracted to other men.
Finally, because of Homer's
connection to the sidewalks, and the sidewalks' own connection to change, we can say
that the sidewalks are a conduit through which Emily left her shy ways, and dared to
challenge her father's stern rules of courtship. After all, she takes very seriously her
relationship with her beau, Homer...seriously enough to kill him when he attempts to
leave.
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