Why I Live at the PO

Eudora Welty wrote the short story "Why I Live at the PO". It is a first-person narrative that revolves around the character known as Sister. She recounts the events leading up to her decision to leave her family home. She moves to the local post office instead (P.O.).

Welty narrates "Why I Live at the PO" with Sister's somewhat unreliable voice. Sister describes her family dynamics. They are filled with conflict and dysfunction. She feels overshadowed and mistreated by her sister Stella-Rondo. Stella-Rondo returns home after a failed marriage and brings along her two-year-old daughter.

Sister becomes increasingly resentful of Stella-Rondo. This is due to jealousy of Stella-Rondo winning the attention and support of their mother and family. The tension escalates when Stella-Rondo announces that she has divorced her husband. And that she is now in a relationship with Sister's former boyfriend, Mr. Whitaker.

Feeling betrayed and desperate for attention, Sister decides to distance herself from the family drama by moving to the P.O. She embraces her new life, relishing in her perceived independence and the power she wields as a postal employee.

Through Sister's narration, Welty explores themes of family conflict, jealousy, and the search for identity. Welty writes "Why I Live at the PO" with a strong sense of Southern culture, using distinctive language, social expectations, and eccentric characters.