"Why I Live at the P.O."

Paper Summary:

This paper explores whether the character of "sister" in the story "Why I Live at the P.O." genuinely achieves freedom after she moves out of the house of her family. The paper considers whether, from an existentialist point of view, sister has taken responsibility for her choices and whether, in feminist terms, she has shaken off a repressive patriarchal family and truly liberated herself. Furthermore, the paper considers, from a psychological approach, whether or not sister has taken a step towards her adult self.

From the Paper:

"Sister does not make existential decisions, though it remains unclear why not. The most likely reason is that in a small town like China Grove it is impossible to avoid one's family. And unlike Stella Rondo, who escaped temporarily, through marriage, Sister has no one to marry. If Shirley T is in fact Papa-Daddy's progeny (this may be why Papa-Daddy feels so threatened by Sister's joke about cutting off his beard), it is understandable that Sister, given tangible evidence of Shirley T to underscore Papa-Daddy's incestuous capability, wishes now to create physical distance between herself and Papa-Daddy. If so, Sister's decision to leave is still not an existential one: it is based on fear."

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