Emily is a woman that has had a hard life. Her family made it so that she was held in high regard in the public eye. She was not suppose to encounter relationships that were below her stature. The town, being the antagonist, drives Emily to her insanity because they will not allow her to lead a normal life. They liked the show they were watching a refused to give it up.
The narrator explores how Emily is defined in her position in the town by her name and her father. People in our town, [. . . ], believed the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were. pg. 3) Emilys father had been controlling during her early life and had stopped all suitors from visiting her. we had all remembered all the young men her father had driven away, [. . . ] (pg. 84) Emily is forced to live in a house were her father will is paramount to her own. When he dies we understand this lose is almost to much for her to bear. Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual with no trace of grief on her face. She told them her father was not dead. (pg. 84)
The denial of her fathers death is explained by the narrator: and we new that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will. pg. 84) The narrator also explores the way in which the towns people define Miss Emily as a tradition, a duty, and a care, [. . . ] (pg. 81) This definition is narrowly drawn. Her rank is one of the representatives of those August names, [. . . ] (pg. 81) When she begins her relationship with Homer Barron, his name shows irony because he is described as a northerner, a day laborer, (pg. 84) the towns people are appalled.
Then some of the ladies began to say it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young eople. (pg. 6) The towns people go as far as to send the Baptist preacher, the towns moral leader, to chastise Emily regarding this relationship. Emily refutes this chastisement and quickly flaunts her relationship with Homer. The next Sunday they again drove about the streets, [. . . ] (pg. 86) Having been rebuked, the ministers wife enlists the aid of Emilys cousins to pressure Emily back into the role they feel she should play. They do arrive at which time Emily buys poison. The towns people feel placadid after Emily buys the arsenic. So the next day we all said, She will kill herself, and e said it would be the best thing.
The towns people it seems would have Emily play by their rules as have been defined by tradition and duty or commit suicide. Emily at first tries to break away from the defined role after her father dies by establishing a relationship with Homer Barron. When she sees how the community reacts she is torn between maintaining her stature and connecting to man in a relationship. This conflict ultimately leads her to madness. She buys the arsenic not to kill herself but to kill Homer Barron. However, she cannot bear to relinquish their relationship and so eeps his corpse in her bed where she has murdered him.
Her denial for death which is foreshadowed in her fathers comes into play here as she is able to play her societal role while keeping her sweetheart forever in her bed. As you can see because of her father, her social stature, and the town she was driven to insanity. Without all of these variables Emily might have been able to lead a normal life. Living up to others expectations is not an easy thing to do. We can all learn a lesson from Emily, living up to others expectations is not as important than the happiness of our own.