It’s a father’s job to protect his daughter, but to what extent? Emily’s father has always been in control of her, and she has become so accustomed to her father’s …show more content…
actions that it became a normality. She was so emotionally attached to her father that when he passed away it was as if “[she had] nothing left… [like they] had robbed her” (Charters). Her growing attachment to her father left her devastated when he was no longer there. The absence of her father is compared to as being robbed because it left her empty inside. All she knew was to rely on her father, so she was lost without him. Not only was she emotionally dependent on her father, but she was financially dependent as well. When the city authorities paid her a visit about her unpaid taxes she simply had no knowledge of the matter. She told them: “see Colonel Sartoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson” (Charters). Miss Emily had believed that her father paid the taxes for her in some way with Colonel Sartoris. A critic states that the “remission of taxes signifies continued dependence of women on men” (Dillon). Throughout her life Emily’s father was the one calling all the shots; however, when her father was no longer present she still felt the need to rely on him. Refusing to believe that she had taxes- refusing to accept change- in Jefferson implies her dependency on a male father figure and how it is connected with her beliefs in that time period.
As Miss Emily went along with her life- without her father- she was not the same.
The townspeople described her looking as if she was sick. Coincidentally, the town begins to make changes and a new face pops into town, Homer Baron. Miss Emily begins to converse with Homer and later on they are seen around town with each other “driving in the yellow- wheeled buggy” (Charters). The use of vivid descriptions helps the reader understand the emotions. By saying that the buggy is yellow shows that Miss Emily is happy, as yellow is primarily a happy color. During her time of grieving Miss Emily let her guard down, which then opened a door for Homer. When Homer shows up it is as if Homer is a ray of yellow sunshine, making Miss Emily happy. Filling that hole that her father’s passing had left Homer begins to comfort Emily by spending time with her. He made Miss Emily feel as if everything was ok; “Homer as baron, in its regal sense, completes the line of succession coming from the father and the colonel” a critic states (Arensberg). Homer was a male figure to Emily; she believed that she could rely on him. As she became to feel more comfortable she began to shower him with gifts such as “a man’s toilet set in silver, with the letters H.B. on each piece…[and] a complete outfit of men’s clothing” (Charters). Emily has started to feel happy again and she loved that feeling. Being in the South, around this time period, many women felt that the need to constantly rely on a man, Miss Emily was one of those people. Relying on Colonel for her taxes being waived, relying on her father for taking care of her, and finally relying on Homer for her happiness. Emily could not let go of the feeling that she constantly needed
someone.
Eventually time heals everything, but what if you refuse to move on? In Miss Emily’s case, she was stuck in the past that she can’t continue on with her life. Her community, even recognizing it that at her funeral because they called her “a fallen monument” (Charters). The men see her as a historical symbol; Emily is a monument in the fact that she represents the past southern beliefs and value. She cannot overcome her feelings which is why she can’t change. Constantly, she is known as a tradition to the townsfolk because of her actions. The generation, she is a part of, a critic explains, is categorized as “reverence for the past” as she is not willing to change (Bulletin). For example, when the town began to renovate and added sidewalks and mailboxes Miss Emily refuses that a mailbox be placed on her lawn, “she wouldn’t even listen to them” (Charters). Miss Emily won’t even attempt to adapt the new behaviors the town is forming- she is stubborn- she does not want to give up her habits, just as she didn’t want to give up her father’s body. By resisting change, and not even willing to attempt, Miss Emily proves how she lived in the past.
Miss Emily’s actions are reasonable for her environment that she grew up in. The values and the believes she was taught fit her setting, but as the town began to change she refused to accommodate. Being a woman in the South after the Civil War has a certain title that it holds up such as she felt needed to rely on a man and couldn’t let go of the past. Ultimately, the actions that took place during this time period would not have happened if it was 10 years in the future, due to the beliefs and customs that a Southern woman must show.