What is the significance of setting and character in "A Rose For Emily?"

The dominant aspect of setting in Faulkner's "A Rose for
Emily" is the post-Civil War South.  The dominant aspect of character is Emily's
resistance to change.

Emily's family was once Southern
aristocracy, in a sense.  In the past, her family was wealthy and were leaders in the
community.  Presumably, when the economy in the South declined following the Civil War,
Emily's family lost its fortune and place in
society. 

Emily, however, refuses to let go and adjust. 
She refuses any change.

The setting, then, involves
forceful change in the South.  But Emily's personality and character make her resistant
to change.  You can see how setting and character reinforce each other in the
story.

If you break these broad aspects down a bit, Emily's
home is a central part of the setting and story, as well.  Her isolation inside her home
leads to the townspeople (the narrative point of view) having only a partial idea of
what she's like.  The narrator is on the outside, looking in.  Thus, Emily remains
mysterious and the surprise ending is achieved.  The setting contributes to only
glimpses of her personality, and reveals the complete nature of her refusal to change
only when she is dead and the house abandoned.