seems to cling to her past even more so than the town itself. The interior of Emily's house "...smelled of dust and disuse -- a close, dank smell"(716). When the house's parlor was seen by some rare guests, it was described by the narrarator as " ...furnished in heavy, leather covered furniture...the leather was cracked; and when they sat down, a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs spinning with slow motes in the single sun-ray." People rarely set foot into this house, at Emily's discretion, so there is a sort of deadness and decay within it that seems to match it's owner who "... looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue"(718). This house has remained there for so long, despite it's obviously gross antiquity, because of Emily's strong insistance that she can still find happier times through the past. It seems that she does not want to leave the confines of her home because she does not want to lose that illusion that she controls time, and the house, inwardly, and outwardly, reflects this.In conclusion, it is not difficult to see that the interaction between the characters, particularly Emily, and their setting must be understood in order tell the story. Otherwise, it may be difficult to interpret why people act the way they do in the story....
