This detail suggests that Emily has been sleeping beside the dead body of her lover. This symbolizes a focus of Faulkner in his works, the morbid Southern nostalgia for the Antebellum ways of life, just like Emily holding on to the decrepit house, the old traditions and dead body of her lover. This can also be traced to the time when her father dies, and she insists that he is not.

"Yankee" is a derisive term used to refer to any and all Northerners. It was a tradition in the old South among the plantation owners to despise manual laborers. "the slave holders...look with utter contempt upon a poor laboring man", whether he be moral or immoral, honest or dishonest..." (BIBB, 25. The Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb : An American Slave)

Apparently, the people in town consider the dignity of a woman as more important than her life, which is what remains of the norms of Southern Belle.

one typical southern gentlemen etiquette:

19… be complimentary of her. Even if is she is late, she spent a lot of time getting ready, so compliment her. Don't play on her insecurities, either. Insulting her is petty.

https://www.onecountry.com/28-southern-gentleman-traditions-that-still-apply-today-1648011217.html

In order not to insult Emily, instead of confronting her on the matter, four men in the town sneak around the house like burglars to sprinkle lime to limit the smell of what is from the dead body.

One of the elements of Southern Gothic stories is the decaying landscape and atmosphere. The female protagonist is in black, a symbol of decay and death. It also reminds me of the three old women in "Jordan's end", who are also dressed in black.

Cotton is one of the main crops in Southern plantations. Before trucks and Rail Roads,cotton wagon was the only tool to get cotton out of the fields and transport it to market.

"negro" as servant

an implication of death inside.

One of the elements in Southern Gothic: a decaying house.

southern belle's criteria to being graceful.

Southerners: despise Northerners, and manual laborers. "the slave holders...look with utter contempt upon a poor laboring man", whether he be moral or immoral, honest or dishonest..." (BIBB, 25. The Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb : An American Slave)

a name given by southerns to northern people.

I guess it is a southern custom.

typical southern gentlemen etiquette:

19… be complimentary of her

Even if is she is late, she spent a lot of time getting ready, so compliment her. Don't play on her insecurities, either. Insulting her is petty.

https://www.onecountry.com/28-southern-gentleman-traditions-that-still-apply-today-1648011217.html

One of the elements in Southern Gothic is that women "just can’t seem to get out of the house” (DeLamotte,10)

also related to death.

The female protagonist is in black, a symbol of decay and death. It also reminds me of the three old women in "Jordan's end", who are also dressed in black.

again, a decaying setting

One of the elements in Southern Gothic: a decaying house.