In a very dramatic monologue that is awash with humor and delivered in a characteristic Southern dialect, Eudora Welty a native of the South successfully brings a story spotted with various themes and moods. This is a story written in 1941 in the local setting of the small town China Grove, Mississippi. Delivered in the first person, the narrator plants some sense of empathy as the story begins but along the narration the reader gets to understand that the narrator is not of clean hands herself. Sister, the narrator, is laden with internal conflict, insecurities, and low self esteem which spill over in form of sibling rivalry against her sister Stella-Rhondo. In brief, this story commences when Stella-Rhondo returns home from her marital home
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In her purported victimhood and in the midst of a lots of complaints, Sister doles out stints of humor, albeit inadvertently. She finds fault in everything. It is humorous of her to complain of having to share two chickens among five people and one child. Of course the chickens are quite enough for such a number but her sister’s presence irks her. When Stella-Rhonda makes an unintended exclamation, Sister asks her if she is “mortally wounded” (Welty, n.p). Sarcasm adds to the humor when Sister thanks Uncle Rhondo for “the cot and the peace” yet it is him who had firecrackers exploding in her room at daw. It is comical how Sister collects all her supposed belongings from the house, including ferns, a radio which she would sue for, and a charm bracelet. In a way, Sister is petty and takes little things too seriously. Papa-Daddy claims he is too smart for Sister because won’t set foot in the Post Office lest she reaches “out of that little old window with a pair of shears and cuts off any beard of mine” (Welty n.p). Stella-Rhondo, who is called after her uncle, insisted on being called Stella for six months when they fell out with him. Sister is quick to quip that she “always thought Uncle Rondo had all the brains of the entire family” (Welty, n.p). In the midst of Sister’s pettifogging, one cannot help letting out occasional laughter because of these involuntary moments of …show more content…
Sister, the narrator, does a lot to portray herself as the victim. However, her major antagonist Stella-Rhoda is not entirely innocent. She is conniving and she tells falsehoods about her sister to the rest of the family. There is no outright contrast between the two sisters in terms of mores. She rubs it in that everybody in the family is smarter than Sister (Welty, n.p). Eudora uses imagery when describing “some terrible-looking flesh-colored contraption” (Welty, n.p) while talking about Stella-Rhondo’s kimono is aimed at vexing her. Ultimately, the author curves out Sister’s character as one who feels isolated and even though her act of moving out was to make a point she still wishes to be with her family. This is portrayed indirectly when she muses about the idea of not listening to Stella-Rhondo’s details of separating with Mr Whitaker if ever she offers. It troubles her not knowing why they separated since she still wants to confirm if it was her sister’s fault. Moving out was supposed to serve as the resolution point for the conflict, but clearly Sister looks forward to getting even with her
In her purported victimhood and in the midst of a lots of complaints, Sister doles out stints of humor, albeit inadvertently. She finds fault in everything. It is humorous of her to complain of having to share two chickens among five people and one child. Of course the chickens are quite enough for such a number but her sister’s presence irks her. When Stella-Rhonda makes an unintended exclamation, Sister asks her if she is “mortally wounded” (Welty, n.p). Sarcasm adds to the humor when Sister thanks Uncle Rhondo for “the cot and the peace” yet it is him who had firecrackers exploding in her room at daw. It is comical how Sister collects all her supposed belongings from the house, including ferns, a radio which she would sue for, and a charm bracelet. In a way, Sister is petty and takes little things too seriously. Papa-Daddy claims he is too smart for Sister because won’t set foot in the Post Office lest she reaches “out of that little old window with a pair of shears and cuts off any beard of mine” (Welty n.p). Stella-Rhondo, who is called after her uncle, insisted on being called Stella for six months when they fell out with him. Sister is quick to quip that she “always thought Uncle Rondo had all the brains of the entire family” (Welty, n.p). In the midst of Sister’s pettifogging, one cannot help letting out occasional laughter because of these involuntary moments of …show more content…
Sister, the narrator, does a lot to portray herself as the victim. However, her major antagonist Stella-Rhoda is not entirely innocent. She is conniving and she tells falsehoods about her sister to the rest of the family. There is no outright contrast between the two sisters in terms of mores. She rubs it in that everybody in the family is smarter than Sister (Welty, n.p). Eudora uses imagery when describing “some terrible-looking flesh-colored contraption” (Welty, n.p) while talking about Stella-Rhondo’s kimono is aimed at vexing her. Ultimately, the author curves out Sister’s character as one who feels isolated and even though her act of moving out was to make a point she still wishes to be with her family. This is portrayed indirectly when she muses about the idea of not listening to Stella-Rhondo’s details of separating with Mr Whitaker if ever she offers. It troubles her not knowing why they separated since she still wants to confirm if it was her sister’s fault. Moving out was supposed to serve as the resolution point for the conflict, but clearly Sister looks forward to getting even with her