Shirley Jackson’s Miss Strangeworth is a character defined by her pride. The reason she does not let any tourists have one of her beloved roses stems from her superiority complex. Miss Strangeworth truly believes that she is the most important person in her town and the only one who can ensure that things remain dignified and proper.

This feeling of ownership drives Strangeworth to write her rude anonymous letters. The town belongs to the Strangeworth family, and as the last surviving member of that family, she asserts her moral authority in a passive-aggressive manner.

Ethan Allen, though important in history, is not as important as Miss Strangeworth’s grandfather, who had a lumber mill that essentially built the town. Miss Strangeworth wholeheartedly believes in the superiority of her heritage over even a famous historical figure like Allen.

In "The Possibility of Evil," Miss Strangeworth objects to the statue of Ethan Allen because she feels that her grandfather contributed more to the development of the town than any other person. This is evidence of her wider (and elated) sense of civic pride: Miss Strangeworth feels that the town is her town because her family have lived in the town for one hundred years. Her grandfather, for instance, built the first house on Pleasant Street (where she currently resides) and her grandmother planted its famous roses (which she still tends). For Miss Strangeworth, no other person, even a Revolutionary war hero, can claim a similar contribution. 

It is this attitude which explains her reaction when asked about the statue:

Miss Strangeworth would frown a little and sound stern.

The idea that anybody outside of her family would be honoured in such a way is utterly abhorrent to Miss Strangeworth.