Why i live at the p.o.by eudora welty
While it is impossible to discount everything that Sister claims, it is equally unlikely that she is merely suffering from some sort of psychosis. By choosing to relate the events of “Why I Live at the P.O.” completely through Sister’s consciousness, Welty actually manages to make a mystery out of this little slice of southern fried life. Whether Sister’s account of this harassment is entirely true, partially true or a complete fabrication matters less than the fact that Sister does seem to be convinced it is all true. A close reading can confirm that Sister is the victim of harassment at the hands of Stella-Rondo and other family members, but that close reading must take into account that Sister is the only one submitting testimony. Which is not to suggest in any way that Sister’s point of view is delusional. Welty’s genius is displayed by the possibility of a third option: the ironic establishment through Sister’s attacks against others that the cause of his victimization may actually result from her own lack of consideration for the feelings of others. Or it may leave convinced that Sister is genuinely suffering from a paranoid personality disorder. Is Sister really so victimized? Or is Sister exhibiting signs of paranoia? Perhaps both? The account of how Stella-Rondo engages in explicit acts of oppressing Sister that inexorably bring all the other family members-as well as unrelated townsfolk-in league with Stella-Rondo may well leave some readers convinced of her victimization. Closer scrutiny of the subtext reveals Welty’s mastery of point of view. Living within an environment where everyone readily treats others as they see fit, the longing for happiness in Sister becomes inextricably tied to the longing for distance between Sister and her family.Īs you read Sister’s recounting of events that lead to the conclusion that she is a victim of bullying and persecution, then, it is well worth remembering that you are only getting her side of the story. The basis of that unreliability may stem from her lifelong conflict of growing up among a family of idiosyncratic personalities who are not always keen about treating her according to her needs and desires. What we learn by reader this story, we learn through the very subjective and occasionally unreliable lens of Sister’s perspective. The irony of the short story is only revealed to the reader by appreciating Welty’s confident and assured control of point of view. To fully appreciate everything else at work in “Why I Live at the P.O.” requires to reader to pay especially close attention to the distance between the text that Sister provides on the surface and subtext that is bubbling beneath that pleasant veneer. Welty’s story is an exercise in literary irony and that assertion-like so many others that Sister makes-is not necessarily as straightforward as it may seem. The centerpiece of any analysis of Eudora Welty's short story, "Why I Live at the P.O.” must begin with the assertion by the protagonist known only as Sister that she is happy. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.