Faulkner uses several gothic elements in this plot: the imposing decrepit house, the decayed corpse, and the mysterious secret horrors connected with emily's life. how do these elements forward the plot and establish the atmosphere?

The best answer to the question: How do these elements forward the plot and establish the atmosphere, would be: it furthers Faulkner´s attempt at creating an ominous aura around the whole story, a sense of suspense and even horror, almost of disgust, towards what is going on in the story.

Explanation:

"A Rose for Emily" is a short story that was written by American author William Faulkner in the 1930´s. The story belongs to the genre of Southern Gothic and it narrates the events in the life of Emily Grierson, a very strange, mysterious woman who seldom mingles with anyone and to whom a lot of strange events happen to. At the beginning Emily´s story is interwoven with that of her father, who keeps her isolated from everyone, but then, the father dies and for a time Emily seems to start coming out of her reclusion. She meets Homer Barron, with whom she falls in love, and who the whole town assumes Emily will be marrying, but in the end, Homer shows that he is not willing to take such a step, and after a while disappears. After that Emily selects absolute reclusion and an aura of decay, of death, almost of destruction and evil, starts to take over not just Emily herself, but her entire home. These gothic elements used by Faulkner: death, the smell of decay, the house that is almost destroyed, the corpse, all of them establish a really ominous aura, a sense of suspense and even horror.

glamis thou art, and cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promis'd; yet do i fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; art not without ambition; but without the illness should attend it. what thou wouldst highly, that wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, and yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'dst have, great glamis, that which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have it: and that which rather thou dost fear to do than wishest should be undone." hie thee hither, that i may pour my spirits in thine ear; and chastise with the valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round, which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crown'd withal.  

he lacks ambition.  

he is hesitant.  

he lacks courage.  

he has moral scruples.