In the heart of Mississippi lies the fictional town of Jefferson, a microcosm of the Old South's enduring traditions and inevitable transformation. Once dominated by aristocratic families such as the Compsons and Sartorises, the town's social landscape shifts dramatically with the arrival of the Snopes family. As Jefferson navigates the collision of old-world values and new societal influences, its physical landmarks become symbols of this complex interplay.

Jefferson: A Town of Tradition and Transformation

Jefferson stands as a bastion of the Old South, where aristocratic families like the Compsons and Sartorises cling to their legacies. These families are emblematic of a bygone era, a class system rooted in agrarian ideals and white Protestantism that persisted into the mid-20th century. However, this old order faces its decline with the ascension of the Snopes family, representing a new social class that is rapidly redefining the town's identity.

The influx of the Snopeses shifts the town's balance of power. Characterized by their Baptist faith, lack of education, and a reputation for being morally questionable, the Snopes family slowly but surely displace the old aristocracy. They infiltrate the town's institutions, becoming influential figures in businesses, churches, and schools. Eventually, their influence extends to the town's financial sector when one of the Snopes is appointed president of the local bank.

The Water Tower: A Symbol of Hypocrisy

Overlooking Jefferson from a ridge, the water tower stands as a stark symbol of the town's pervasive hypocrisy. Inside the tower, the water is tainted with pieces of stolen brass, courtesy of Flem Snopes’ misdeeds at the city power plant. The townspeople are fully aware of this contamination, yet choose to overlook it, preferring to ignore the theft to avoid scandal. This silent complicity underscores Jefferson's reluctance to confront the moral decay within its own community.

Snopes Photograph Studio: Illusions of Respectability

Further illustrating the town's propensity for self-deception is the Snopes photograph studio. Managed by Montgomery Ward Snopes, the studio offers free sittings to the town's ladies, all the while concealing a much darker operation in its basement. When the authorities uncover the studio's true purpose—a pornographic "magic lantern" show—they opt to charge Montgomery with bootlegging rather than expose the scandal of the European sex films. This decision reflects the town's desperation to maintain a façade of respectability, even at the cost of truth.

Stevens's Office: A Battleground of Morality

Gavin Stevens, a town lawyer, navigates moral ambiguity from his office, which is lined with legal and religious texts. Here, he grapples with the erosion of the old social order as the influence of the Snopeses grows. Despite his intellectual efforts to uphold justice, Gavin inadvertently contributes to the Snopes clan's rise. His office becomes a setting for moral conflict, highlighted by his interactions with Eula Varner Snopes. Though he resists her advances, the very proposition signifies the further degradation of the established aristocratic values.

The Cemetery: A Final Act of Hypocrisy

Eula Snopes's burial in the Jefferson cemetery serves as a poignant reminder of the town's unwillingness to confront its harsh truths. After her tragic suicide, the town's ministers, eager to maintain appearances, officiate her burial, ignoring her status as an adulteress due to her connection to the bank's president. Gavin Stevens selects a Bible verse for her tombstone, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; her children rise and call her blessed," further enshrining the town’s hypocrisy. This epitaph encapsulates the community’s need to gloss over uncomfortable realities to preserve its self-image.