“Why I Live at the PO”
By Eudora Welty
Ah, family…
“A dysfunctional family is any family with more
than one person in it.” -Mary Karr
The protagonist, our narrator:
“I was getting along fine with Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle
Rondo until my sister Stella-Rondo just separated from her husband
and came back home again…Stella-Rondo is exactly twelve months
to the day younger than I am and for that reason she’s spoiled” (46).
The protagonist: “As I tell everybody, I draw
my own conclusions” (56).
• Mama: “You ought to see Mama, she weighs two hundred pounds and has real tiny feet”
•
•
•
•
•
(50).
Stella-Rondo: “She’s always had anything in the world she wanted and then she’d throw it
away” (47).
Papa-Daddy: “Papa-Daddy’s Mama’s papa and sulks” (47).
Uncle Rondo: “He’s Mama’s only brother and is a good case of a one-track mind. Ask
anybody. A certified pharmacist” (48).
“Uncle Rondo has got the most terrible temper in the world. Anything is liable to make him
tear the house down if it comes at the wrong time” (52).
Shirley-T: “ She has no more manners than the man in the moon” (54).
Why does she live at the PO?
• 1. Answer the question by making a list of reasons, or, in the alternative, articulate one
reason and make a list in which you cite events (evidence) to support your assertion.
• 2. Is the protagonist a reliable narrator? Why or why not? Cite specific evidence that
supports her credibility (or lack thereof).
• 3. Does the protagonist fit in with her family, or does she seem different somehow?
How/why is she the same or different? Cite specific evidence to support your assertion.
• 4. What details are implied about each of the characters as revealed by their responses to
one another (i.e., their ability to persuade or offend one another)? For example, which
sister is more physically attractive: the protagonist, or her sister, Stella-Rondo?
Can you relate to the protagonist?
• 5. Is the protagonist a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
• 6. Have you ever felt misunderstood or persecuted? Have you ever fantasized about
escaping your life?
• 7. If you were a psychologist examining the protagonist, how would you diagnose her
condition? How would you diagnose the condition of her family members?
• 8. How does the setting impact the story? Does the uniquely Southern setting impact
the meaning of the story?
• 9. Articulate a theme for this story; what meaning does the author convey through
events in the story?