The Tragic Isolation of Emily Grierson

Emily Grierson was a woman with a dark past, that kept many secrets. In my perspective, her troubles arise as she was growing up. Living with a father whose temperament was explosive, authoritarian overwhelmed Emily. Her father’s harsh way of thinking, made Emily a vulnerable woman, in which she was easy manipulated and submissive, in my opinion. I just can’t even imagine how terrible was to live and love somebody who possessed those traits. Her mental illness started when her father died. Despite, the fact, of her controlling father she depended on him. Emily, lived in an isolated world, in where her father pretty much dictated everything. Being secured, self- sufficient are characteristics that she was unable to established. Her seclusion of not connecting with reality

started from her upraising making her father fully responsible. In the death of her father, she was unable to cope with his tragic death. One example of her first signs of mental illness is when “She told them that her father was not dead.” She did that for three consecutive days. Nonetheless, she suffered lose touch of reality. Mental illness was a disease that existed in her family. For example, “Lady Wyatt, her great aunt had completely gone crazy too.” Emily was more susceptible to have these issues. Emily reminded me, despite her mental illness, someone who has Asperger Syndrome.

Emily was never able to have a relationship, not even with Homer Barron. I believe it was caused by the lack of love and affection. As a woman, she was not experienced to function in society, and with men. I felt there was little girl who had a mental illness stuck in a grown women’s body. At a middle aged, still single, she saw Homer Barron as her ideal man, in desperate need to connect and fall in love. It was too late in opinion, her mental illness got the best of her. Seeking deeper in her depression, made her do crazy things. Going to the druggist, and saying “I want poison.” “I want the best you have. I don’t care what kind.” Homer Barron was not the marrying type, but Emily would do anything in making sure he was hers forever. In my perspective, it’s a sad story, and disturbing in which society, upbringing, lack of affection, and social bonding can do so much damage. Furthermore, the most disturbing part of the story is when “We notice the indentation of a head, acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair”. In other words, Emily mental illness took over completely. She was completely

insane.