Letting Go and Moving On
The occasion of her father’s death forces Laurel to confront issues which have been obstructing forward movement. Fay is the symbolic representation of forces that are always going to remain beyond one’s control. Until Laurel can accept this unpleasant reality, she realizes, she is going to be stuck in a permanent state of grief. The recognition and acceptance of her mother’s flaws allows her see the basic humanity from a new perspective and these confrontations with the ghosts of the past can finally be exorcised as demons holding too tight a grip.
Expressions of Grief
People are often shocked at the way others express grief. It almost seems as there is only one appropriate way to respond to the death of someone close and perhaps there is, but appropriate is not a choice under such extreme emotional conditions. The narcissistic hysterics of Fay immediately bring on the suspicion about her character, but certainly it’s possible to recall people in real life responding to death in similar self-involve manners. On the other hand, Laurel’s reserved and unstated expression of grief is also partly a show; class etiquette dictates such restraint.
Class and Stereotypes
The contrast between the lazy and indulgent Fay and the Missouri, the black cook of the McKelva family draws a sharp distinction between stereotyping of classes. With her socially upward marriage to Laurel’s father, Fay can be accepted into social circles denied her before and denied always to Missouri. The constancy of Missouri, the industriousness and the loyalty are characteristics which should register highly for entry into social circles, but the reality is quite different. What really makes this theme pop in Welty’s handling of it is the way that even as Fay fulfills all the stereotypical expectations of the young gold digging wife, because of the class distinction afforded her through marriage, she can expect to remain situated higher in the eyes of the white community than Missouri.
