Symbol of the South?

There are many different ways to view Miss Emily Grierson. She was a victim of the Old South for several reasons, but the number one reason is the way she was brought up by her father. He was the only man she knew how to love because that was the way he wanted it. I believe Miss Emily’s father is the reason she is the independent woman the town knows her as, but the fact that she was not able to let go of her father, or Homer after she killed him, gives the impression she may only have been independent to an extent. She lived in a home by herself with a servant to do her chores and cleaning for her. I disagree with the declaration of Miss Emily being a symbol of the South on the accounts of her not having the traditional ways of women in the South in that time period. Miss Emily did not have the tidy, up kept household that a traditional woman was expected to have. She also did not have the manners of a traditional Southern woman. After sending a letter to Miss Emily in regards to her not paying taxes, the city authorities received no response and had to go to her house. She retorted sternly with, “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves.” (210) Speaking to an authoritative figure this way, let alone a female to a male, in this time period was almost unheard of. Overall, Miss Emily was not comparable to many women of the South in that time period.