Eudora Welty's Why I Live At The P. O.

“Why I Live at the P.O.” The image of home life in Why I live at the P.O, Eudora Welty depicts the damage to one’s feelings of self worth in response to the sense of belonging in a family. Sister, who is the narrator in Why I live at the P.O.,(Welty) is disturbed when her sister, Stella Rondo returns homes with an adopted child, Shirley-T, after separating from her husband (Welty). Sister has lived in her sister’s, Stella Rondo’s shadow her entire life. Over the years, resentment and jealously has manifested in Sister towards her sister Stella Rondo. The rest of the family is delighted to see Stella Rondo and the child. Sister makes the assumption that Shirley-T is the biological child of Stella and her husband (Welty). The story is told from Sisters twisted point of view seeking sympathy from her readers. As the story begins, she immediately builds her case against her family revealing past hurt, judgment, and jealousy which cause the family to have a communication break down throughout the entire story. In Why I live at the P.O., Eudora Welty uses diction,
The isolation continues as she decides to move out. In Why I live at the P.O., (Whetly) the post office represents freedom and solitude. It is a place that she will be able to call her own, while getting a way from her family. She will not be totally free because she is escaping to a place that was provided to her by her father. Honest communication has been unattainable for this family. The family decided to increase the solitude by agreeing not to communicate with Sister while she resides at the P.O. (Welty). Shirley-T quickly picks up the traits of the Rondo family. As Sister prepares herself to leave her home, Shirley-T sticks her tongue out at Sister. This behavior exhibits the family traits that are yet to be broken. She has picked up the bad habits of the broken family that Stella Rondo introduced her