Why I Live at the P.O.

by Eudora Welty

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Style and Technique

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The method of “Why I Live at the P.O.” is that of a dramatic monologue. Thus, its closest literary analogue is the dramatic monologue of Robert Browning, in which there is always a gap between the way speakers perceive themselves and the way listeners perceive them. A dramatic monologue is a work in which speakers reveal themselves unawares. In such a form, the speakers, even as they seem to damn another character, actually only succeed in damning themselves. Perhaps the literary character that Sister resembles even more than a figure from Browning’s poetry is Fyodor Dostoevski’s Underground Man in his short novel Zapiski iz podpolya (1864; Notes from the Underground, 1954). As it is for Dostoevski’s nameless antihero, Sister’s logic is not so much insane as it is the rational pushed to such an extreme that it becomes irrational and perverse. It is indeed the style of her speech—that is, the whole of the story—which reveals this problem.

“Why I Live at the P.O.” is different in both tone and technique from Welty’s usual fiction. In most of her best-known stories, reality is transformed into fantasy and fable, and the logic is not that of ordinary life; here, in contrast, things remain stubbornly real. Many readers have noted that the dreamlike nature of Welty’s stories depends on her ability to squeeze meaning out of the most trivial of details. Here, however, in a story that depends on the triviality of things, there is no dreamlike effect; the trivial details are comically allowed to remain trivial. Regardless of the difference in style, however, here as elsewhere in Welty’s fiction, the focus is on the isolation of the self.

Historical Context

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Modern America and the Provincial South

In the early twentieth century, American citizens' lifestyles across the nation began to converge, fostering a unified national identity and culture. This shift resulted from a complex interplay of factors, including urbanization, increased government centralization, the United States' burgeoning international economic and military influence, and the rise of mass media such as film and radio. However, the South diverged significantly from this trend. Unlike any other region, the South maintained a distinct culture separate from the rest of the country. Although the South lost the right to secede after the Civil War, this defeat paradoxically reinforced its regional identity. Contrary to the mainstream American ethos of progress and change, the South remained deeply rooted in its history and often idealized visions of its agrarian past. This was evident in the region's conservatism and traditionalism compared to the rest of the country. A key element of southern identity was the small-town and rural lifestyle, centered around close-knit family and community bonds.

Welty attended graduate school in New York City. A few years later, she returned home and took a job that required extensive travel throughout rural Mississippi. Thus, shortly before writing "Why I Live at the P.O.," Welty experienced two starkly different examples of American culture. New York City was the epicenter of new developments in art, style, customs, and business. It was fast-paced and dynamic but also alienating and isolating. After returning to Mississippi and spending time in its most remote rural communities, Welty gained a clearer perspective on the uniqueness of traditional southern society, particularly its emphasis on family and community. "Why I Live at the P.O." reflects the insularity of small-town southern life, with Sister largely unaware of the world beyond her family and community. However, some of her conflict with Stella-Rondo stems from Stella-Rondo's broader experiences in the North and her greater sophistication. The presence...

(This entire section contains 593 words.)

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of popular culture and brand-name consumer items in the family home also indicates the influence of modern national culture on traditional southern society.

Women in the South

The conservative nature of southern culture was evident in the status of women and gender dynamics. While premarital sex had become more commonly accepted among sophisticated urbanites during the "roaring twenties," it remained strictly taboo in the rural South throughout the 1930s and 40s. This cultural norm helps explain the family's acceptance of Stella-Rondo's dubious story about Shirley T.'s origins. In small communities, women typically lived with their families until marriage, and their options for partners were limited. Sister's remark about Mr. Whitaker as "the only man ever dropped down in China Grove" highlights the restricted romantic prospects. Middle-class societal standards dictated that an appropriate partner was not only of the right age and class but ideally a local resident as well. Marrying someone from outside the community was generally disapproved of, and women rarely had the chance to meet men through school or work outside their homes. Unmarried women, often referred to derogatorily as spinsters, relied on their families for support.

Southern women were more likely than their counterparts in other regions to work outside the home, largely due to the higher poverty rates in the South. However, most of these women were employed in traditionally female-dominated roles such as domestic workers, nurses, and teachers. The proportion of women in traditionally male professions was lower than the national average. Sister's job at the small post office was mostly honorary and did not provide her with the status or financial independence necessary to significantly break free from her family.

Literary Style

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Setting

Sister recounts her estrangement from her family from her new "home" at the China Grove post office, the second smallest post office in Mississippi. This location serves as the connection between the provincial community and the distant outside world. The primary events of the story unfold in the family home, where Sister has spent her entire life with her mother, uncle, and grandfather. Her sister, Stella-Rondo, escaped the insular world of China Grove by marrying and moving to Illinois. In contrast, Sister's identity and reference points are deeply rooted in her quirky, strong-willed relatives and the small rural community where their customs are the norm. The family is prominent and relatively affluent, employing black servants whom they refer to as ‘‘niggers,’’ a term that was unfortunately common in the 1930s and 1940s. However, the story does not address the racial tensions of the South or the broader social and cultural changes linked to rapid urbanization, modernization, the Depression, and the onset of World War II. Instead, the story magnifies familial tensions over trivial matters like beards and kimonos within the isolated family home.

Point of View

In a narrative heavily focused on ‘‘taking sides,’’ the point of view is crucial. The plot of ‘‘Why I Live at the P.O.’’ is driven by the differing versions of truth from Stella-Rondo and Sister, and the family's reactions to each version. Sister narrates the story in the first person, giving her ample opportunity to present her case. However, Welty encourages readers to question her reliability. By allowing Sister’s voice and perspective to dominate the story, Welty provides her with enough leeway to undermine herself. At times, Sister’s accounts appear implausible, such as her explanation of her breakup with Mr. Whitaker. In other instances, her exaggerated sense of victimization comes across as comedic, like when she laments the hardship of having to ‘‘stretch two chickens over five people’’ instead of four. Despite her assertions of being a champion of truth, Sister emerges as an unreliable narrator. She attempts to persuade her audience that she is unequivocally right in her conflict with her family and that she has successfully distanced herself by moving to the post office, but her narrative suggests the opposite.

The Southern Idiom

Idiom refers to the unique vocabulary, grammar, and word order specific to a language or regional dialect. Eudora Welty is renowned for capturing the rhythms and inflections of spoken language, particularly the distinctive idiom of the American South. As the plot summary of ‘‘Why I Live at the P.O.’’ illustrates, the story's humor and poignancy would be lost without the essential tone created by Sister’s emphatic voice and colloquial speech. Welty’s use of the speech patterns and expressions native to rural Mississippi gives ‘‘Why I Live at the P.O.’’ its most notable stylistic quality. Sister’s first-person narration, along with the quoted dialogue, is filled with sentence fragments, exclamations, and emphases that mimic the sound of everyday conversation. For instance, Papa-Daddy ‘‘l-a-y-s down his knife and fork!’’ and Stella-Rondo ‘‘raises the window and says 'Oh!’ You would’ve thought she was mortally wounded.’’ Colorful expressions such as ‘‘dizzy as a witch,’’ ‘‘kiss my foot,’’ and ‘‘Miss Priss’’ ground ‘‘Why I Live at the P.O.’’ in a local vernacular that reflects the specific and insular nature of life in China Grove. The family is deeply connected to their locale, and their manner of speaking mirrors this. Sister’s exaggerated language also highlights her dramatic sensibility. She interprets minor actions as significant events and takes everything to heart, which is evident in the way she describes them. ‘‘She’s always had anything in the world she wanted and then she’d throw it away. Papa-Daddy gave her this gorgeous Add-a-Pearl necklace when she was eight years old and she threw it away playing baseball when she was nine, with only two pearls.’’

Literary Techniques

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As previously mentioned, Welty employs the same narrative technique in this story that she used in The Ponder Heart. She describes this method as a "monologue that takes possession of the speaker." This approach is one reason her work is often classified as popular fiction, imbuing it with a homespun, folksy charm. Welty's humor in this story is distinctive; it emerges from the tension between pure comedy and serious family conflict. The family seems to enjoy the conflict, and Sister takes great pleasure in claiming anything in the house she believes is rightfully hers. However, all the characters are aware that they are taking some risks, and Welty effectively conveys this to the reader. Throughout the story, as in her other works, Welty's keen observation and impeccable ear for dialogue accurately capture the idiom and social awareness of China Grove.

Social Concerns

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The small Southern town epitomizes Welty's usual setting, and this story is no different. The "Edna Earle" (refer to The Ponder Heart, 1954) in this tale, who remains unnamed, serves as the postmistress of the "next-to-smallest P.O. in the entire state of Mississippi." Much like Edna Earle Ponder, she has captured the attention of an unidentified listener. This listener is likely a customer at the post office where "Sister," as she is known within her family, has relocated following a family dispute in which she feels everyone has turned against her. The narrator's younger sister, Stella-Rondo—described as "spoiled" by the narrator—has separated from her husband and returned home with her child, a three-year-old whom no one in the family knew existed. This family, akin to the Ponders, holds significant status in the small town of China Grove, despite the fact that the entire population teeters just above the poverty line. Welty delves into the intricacies of family life, where mother, daughters, grandfather, uncle, and now a three-year-old great-granddaughter coexist under one roof. Social favoritism is a given, both within the family and in the community. The narrator mentions multiple times that she secured her position as postmistress through the influence of her grandfather, "Papa-daddy."

Compare and Contrast

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1930s: The number of U.S. post offices has decreased from its peak of nearly 77,000 at the beginning of the century. Free collection and delivery services are not universally available, requiring many individuals to visit local post offices to send and receive mail.

1990s: Most Americans receive their mail at home, with daily deliveries by mail carriers. However, a small percentage still collect their mail from post office boxes and windows for various reasons.

1930s: By the late 1930s, the United States starts to recover from the Great Depression, although President Roosevelt estimates that one-third of the population lives in poverty. The remaining two-thirds have not seen significant changes in their economic status, and small-town life remains largely unaffected by the economic crisis.

1990s: The national economy is strong, with the rural population at its lowest point in history. Technological advancements have boosted agricultural production to its highest levels. However, mass culture, information technology, and transportation have diminished the unique culture of small-town America.

1930s: For the first time in decades, there is a shift in migration patterns, with slightly more individuals leaving cities to return to their hometowns than moving to urban areas.

1990s: The number of people living in rural areas and small towns continues to decline. However, a movement known as "neo-traditionalism" or "new urbanism" aims to recreate the close-knit feel of small-town communities in urban and suburban environments. This includes centralized businesses, common public spaces, and pedestrian-friendly designs. For example, a "neo-traditional" community might feature a local post office within walking distance for most residents.

1930s: Radio experiences a surge in popularity, offering a national audience a unified schedule of music, drama, and news shows, which helps create a more homogeneous American culture.

1990s: Radio remains a key medium for music, with national franchises operating most local stations. However, the rise of television has ended radio dramas and significantly reduced the impact of radio news.

Media Adaptations

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In 1998, Eudora Welty narrates "Why I Live at the P.O." on a Caedmon audio cassette titled "Eudora Welty Reads."

Bibliography and Further Reading

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Sources

Hauser, Marianne. New York Times, November 16, 1941, p. 6.

Johnston, Carol Ann. Eudora Welty: A Study of the Short Fiction, New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997.

Porter, Katherine Anne. Introduction to A Curtain of Green and Other Stories by Eudora Welty, New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1941.

Prenshaw, Peggy Whitman, ed. Conversations with Eudora Welty, Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 1984.

Review of A Curtain of Green, in Books, November 16, 1941, p. 10.

Review of A Curtain of Green, in New Yorker, Vol. 17, November 15, 1941.

Review of A Curtain of Green, in Time, November 24, 1941, p. 110.

Further Reading

Bloom, Harold, ed. Eudora Welty, New York: Chelsea House, 1986.
This compilation contains critical essays on Welty’s fiction by the most prominent Welty scholars from recent decades.

Johnston, Carol Ann. Eudora Welty: A Study of the Short Fiction, New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997.
This accessible and thorough introduction to Welty’s writing includes an analytical essay, excerpts from Welty’s own writings on fiction, and selected reviews and articles that show how Welty’s work has been interpreted from the 1940s to today.

Waldron, Ann. Eudora: A Writer’s Life, New York: Doubleday, 1998.
The first biography of Welty, offering a wealth of factual information about the life and accomplishments of this very private writer.

Welty, Eudora. The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews, New York: Random House, 1979.
This engaging collection of Welty’s non-fiction writings provides her insights on fellow authors of her generation, earlier influential writers, and the art of fiction.

Wolfe, Margaret Ripley. Daughters of Canaan: A Saga of Southern Women, Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1995.

Bibliography

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Champion, Laurie. The Critical Response to Eudora Welty’s Fiction. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994.

Gygax, Franziska. Serious Daring from Within: Female Narrative Strategies in Eudora Welty’s Novels. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.

Gretlund, Jan Nordby. Eudora Welty’s Aesthetics of Place. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1994.

Gretlund, Jan Nordby, and Karl-Heinz Westarp, eds. The Late Novels of Eudora Welty. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.

Johnston, Carol Ann. Eudora Welty: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1997.

Kreyling, Michael. Understanding Eudora Welty. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999.

McHaney, Pearl Amelia, ed. Eudora Welty: Writers’ Reflections upon First Reading Welty. Athens, Ga.: Hill Street Press, 1999.

Montgomery, Marion. Eudora Welty and Walker Percy: The Concept of Home in Their Lives and Literature. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004.

Waldron, Ann. Eudora: A Writer’s Life. New York: Doubleday, 1998.

Weston, Ruth D. Gothic Traditions and Narrative Techniques in the Fiction of Eudora Welty. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994.

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