32 pages • 1 hour read
Why I Live at the P.O.
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Themes
Sibling Rivalry as a Family Affair
Family conflict lies at the heart of “Why I Live at the P.O.” The story explores the relationship dynamics among multiple generations living together in the same house, which more often leads to isolation than “togetherness.” While Welty highlights the rivalry between the narrator and her younger sister, the story illustrates the ways that the family’s overall dynamic perpetuates this rivalry.
The names of all the characters (apart from Stella-Rondo) include their familial relationship with the main character—known only as Sister—which serves to further Sister’s view of Stella-Rondo as an outsider. Sister emphasizes that the family was doing just fine until she returns: “I was getting along fine with Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle Rondo until my sister Stella-Rondo just separated from her husband and came back home again” (43). While the story’s conflict is driven by the sisters’ respective relationships with Mr. Whitaker, Sister points out that their dynamic goes back further. Sister describes Stella-Rondo is described as “spoiled” because Stella-Rondo is exactly 12 months younger, for instance, and shares an example of Stella-Rondo losing a necklace Papa-Daddy gave her. The narrator thus establishes that her jealousy has deep roots. Within the narrative, Sister perceives Stella-Rondo as pitting the other characters against her and making untrue statements, though Sister’s one-sided narration calls her reliability into question. Stella-Rondo, too, contributes to this dynamic; her conflicts with Sister at times appear childlike, with both characters “tattling” on the other to win other family members’ attention.
The other characters illustrate their influence on the sisters’ dynamic. Mama sometimes inserts herself into their conflicts but at other times acts as a peacemaker, as she does at the table during the “beard” discussion. Mama is shocked when Stella-Rondo brings home a child but accepts Stella-Rondo’s claim that she is adopted despite clues to the contrary. Sister expresses that she feels the treatment between her and Stella-Rondo is uneven, citing that Mama would have had a different response had she, not Stella-Rondo, come home with a surprise child, though Mama protests. While Sister’s claims are sometimes hyperbolic to the point of being absurd, these scenes highlight her sense of alienation and her envy of her sister’s relationship with Mama.
The family exemplifies a traditional patriarchal structure, and the men in the family further contribute to the dynamic between the sisters. Though the characters are all adults, each reflects a level of fear or reverence toward Papa-Daddy. Papa-Daddy relishes opportunities to assert his dominance within the family, such as when he states that he will not remove his beard and the topic isn’t open for feedback. He also calls Sister a “hussy” and reminds Sister that he is the reason she has her post office job, exemplifying his over-the-top reaction to perceived criticism. Uncle Rondo’s firecrackers and urging Sister to leave further contribute to the conflict and illustrate that the antagonistic dynamic in the household extends beyond Sister and Stella-Rondo.
Through these dynamics, Welty suggests that the rivalry between the sisters runs deeper than the two of them and illustrates that Sister’s narration—while self-focused—is imbued with at least some degree of truth and pain regarding her status within the family.
Independence Versus Lack of Autonomy
“Why I Live at the P.O.” explores the notion of independence versus lack of autonomy. Notably, most of the action takes place on Independence Day. The main character seeks her independence by moving out of her family home and into the post office where she works. In this way, she is leaving a situation in which she feels she has little power or influence and into the one place where she has some autonomy, status, and most importantly, the external approval she seeks.
Though she is an adult, Sister is dependent in a variety of ways, partly due to the gender norms of the era. Papa-Daddy’s role as the family patriarch evidences his authority over Sister at several points during this story, reminding her that even her source of perceived status and independence—her post office job—is only due to his benevolence and influence. Furthermore, Mama and Papa-Daddy both laud Stella-Rondo’s decision to get married and move away, while Sister cooks and performs domestic duties throughout the story. She expresses spite regarding these tasks, such as her comment that “someone had to do it” (46), as she cans green tomatoes. These scenes illustrate Sister’s sense that her contributions to the family aren’t respected.
In contrast, Stella-Rondo—from Sister’s perspective—earns accolades and respect despite being just as dependent on the family. Stella-Rondo leaves home and even the state after getting married. During the 1940s, this entailed moving from one source of dependence—her parents—to another, her husband. This was a time when women were often expected to be in subservient roles to their spouses, fulfilling a role within the home and often with few options for employment. Now, she returns home with a small child of ambiguous origin in tow. While there is no indication of how the outside world views her situation, the time period and setting indicate she would likely face hardship and social opposition.
While gender roles limit the independence and autonomy of some characters, Welty also explores the lack of autonomy based on race in the 1940s South. The Black people labeled the “help” receive a day of so-called freedom on Independence Day, a celebration that in many ways underscores inequality in the country. Given the context of the time, they also face the segregation laws of the Jim Crow South, pay disparities, and long days of labor. Welty illustrates Black people’s lack of autonomy clearly when Sister employs a racist slur and demands that a young Black girl courier her belongings to the post office, making nine trips uphill. To “reward” her labor, Uncle Rondo disrespectfully throws a nickel at the girl. This scene highlights that while Sister may rightfully perceive a degree of oppression, she also enjoys some privilege and is capable of exerting oppression herself.
Though Sister finds herself living at the post office, she does not truly gain independence, nor does she free herself from seeking the approval of others. Her declaration that she “wants the world to know she’s happy” indicates that she is still dependent on external approval (52).
Truth and Perception
Truth and perception play a significant role in the story. Prone to hyperbole and exaggerated complaints, Sister quickly establishes herself as an unreliable narrator whose perspective shapes the story. When Sister breaks up with Mr. Whitaker, Sister claims that it happened because Stella-Rondo told him Sister was “one-sided.” Sister takes this to mean “bigger on one side than the other” (43). However, this reference also signals that defining truth will be a crucial element in this story.
In the narrator’s mind, all the main characters are pitted against her, and she expresses no accountability for her own contributions to conflicts, lending credence to the cliché: “If you have a problem with everybody, perhaps you’re the problem.” From Sister’s point of view, it’s always somebody else’s fault in this narrative. She first shifts the attention to Stella-Rondo, declaring that the family dynamics were “fine” until Stella-Rondo came back on the scene. The first lines establish that any blame in the story will shift to Stella-Rondo. Sister immediately shares that Stella-Rondo had stolen her boyfriend and married him, establishing the resentment Sister carries to the end, when she states that she won’t forgive Stella-Rondo even if she were to come begging.
The narrator is also prone to exaggeration, stating that as soon as Stella-Rondo got married, “the first thing she did was separate” (43). Later, after Uncle Rondo throws the firecrackers, she tells the reader she was “simply prostrated” and “couldn’t eat” due to the trauma of the noise. Further defending her complaint, she claims her doctor said she was “the most sensitive person he had seen in his whole life” (49). This claim suggests a double meaning of that phrase and what part her “sensitivity” may play in her reactions, coloring her perceptions throughout the story.
Furthermore, during interactions between Stella-Rondo and Papa-Daddy, and Stella-Rondo and Uncle Rondo, the reader doesn’t “hear” any dialogue from Sister, leaving the reader to wonder if the account is accurate or if there may be “missing pieces.” The main narrator also makes asides at various points in the story such as, “Do you remember who it really was who said that?” (49). In this way, Sister accepts responsibility as the arbiter of truth instead of letting the reader “draw [their] own conclusions” as the narrator claims to do herself.
In the end, Welty’s choice to leave the narrative in the hands of a put-upon eldest daughter with sole control of the story raises questions about how truthfully and completely the events unfold and the degree to which they are skewed by the narrator’s own conclusions.
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By Eudora Welty
