Emily’s Mental Deterioration
After getting over the initial shock of finding out that the mysterious woman that everyone was talking about was going to sleep each night with a decaying body next to her, it makes sense for the reader to question her mental state. If the reader took a closer look at the town’s description of her, they will realize that as time went on, Emily’s will power began to deteriorate.
When she was young, she was the topic of everybody’s conversation, however, she did not let that bother her and walked down the streets with her head held high. Emily took over the old house after her father’s death and kept a few servants around to keep the house tidy, nonetheless, the outside of the house was not kept in the best of conditions. She had someone who took care of her plants, but other than that, the rest of the house was peeling and the once white paint that encircled her house began to turn yellow. The reader could view this as an example of how she feels about the public; she did not care for the town’s opinions of her so she neglected to keep up with the part of the house that they could see.
Not only did she give up on her house, but based on the town’s description of her, she also gave up on herself. They described her skeleton as small and spare, which could be
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She discontinued her painting lessons because she did not want any relationships with the people around her. Naturally, some were offended by her standoffish attitude so they stopped sending her gifts during the holidays. Emily became so secluded, it seemed like she and everything in her house were suspended in time. Even the townspeople described her wallpaper and furniture as archaic and dust ridden when they toured her home after her death. She rarely went out and she spoke of her acquaintances as if they were alive, which shows that she was unaware of the changes and developments around