The stories we read in class are all great examples of classic fiction literature, each with their own unique style and plots. However, the two short stories we read in class written by William Falkner really caught my attention. A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning were my favorite stories to read and study. What made them so interesting to me was how Falkner uses the stories' main characters. Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily and Abner Snopes in Barn Burning are two main characters who are interesting and add a completely different twist to the plots. Another element that strikes me in these two stories is the setting in which they both take place. While the two are similar, they both have unique factors in which they provide the structure of the gothic theme in A Rose for Emily and the plot of Barn Burning. The third literary element that Falkner uses excellently in these stories is symbolism. These symbols not only refer to the main themes of the works, but truly convey the stories that the Falkner classics convey to them. The main characters of A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning, along with the setting and symbols, provide these stories with a backbone around which the themes are built. Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily and Abner Snopes in Barn Burning are characters who are mostly flat and not too dynamic in each of their individual stories. Although these characters don't change much as the story progresses, they are still very interesting and have enormous value to the overall plot of the stories. These two characters are really different and contrast each other very well. Abner Snopes lived most of his life as a servant and is below…middle of the paper…Southerners also influenced Falkner's writing style. Works Cited McGuire, Marty. A rose for Emily and Barn Burning. Academia.edu. Np, nd Web. 20 February 2014. Getty, Laura J. “A Rose for Falkner's Emily.” Expressor 63.4 (2005): 230-234. Literary reference center. Web April 16, 2014Zender, Karl F. "Character and Symbol in Barn Burning." University Literature 16.(1989): 48-59. Complete text of humanities (H.W. Wilson). Network. April 16, 2014.Shrader, Laura. “The Symbolism of the Rose in the “A Rose for Emily” Suite. Np, nd Web. April 16, 2014. Smith, Nicole. “Faulkner's A Rose for Emily: Fallen Monuments and Distorted Relics.” Myriad. Np, January 17, 2012. Web. 16 April 2014. Zender, Karl F. "Character and Symbol in 'Barn Burning'." University Literature 16.1 (1989): Rpt literature. Network. 17 April. 2014.