What is the theme of a rose for emily?

The theme of "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner is the decline of traditional Southern values in the face of modernization. The story is about the life of Emily Grierson, a woman from a prominent family in the town of Jefferson, Mississippi. As the town changes and modernizes around her, Emily clings to the old ways and refuses to change with the times. Her isolation and mental instability ultimately lead to her tragic end. The story also explores the themes of loneliness, death, and the destructive power of nostalgia and tradition.