Emily and Calixta’s Destructive behavior

Emily Grierson is an unstable women who becomes isolated after the death of her father. Her father was the only love she ever experienced, only because her father did not allow her to experience the joys of doing things on her own nor the feelings of love and friendship. She lives a life void of love and affection. During this time Emily falls in love with

Homer Barron. As she experiences love for the first time in her life, Miss Grierson’s relationship with homer becomes ill and short lived. Emily Grierson’s relationship with Homer Barron is a very unhealthy, destructive relationship. Homer is Emily’s first love and she wants to marry him but soon realizes he does not want to marry her. She is unable to cope with losing another man in her life and decides to take fate into her own hands. Emily decides to poison homer with arsenic, after doing so she keeps his body and continues to act as if he is still alive. Emily continues to sleep next to homer every night as indicated by the grey hairs found on the pillow next to homer’s remains. Emily’s perception of reality is clearly distorted when it comes to men as is her ability to allow change to occur in her life.

Calixta is a mother, a wife and homemaker. She is beautiful with blue eyes and yellow hair an all around idea of a perfect women. Calixta sews, cooks, and she looks after the well being of her family quite well. She’s been married to Bobinot for five years and seems very happy with the life she lives. She has an affair with a man named Alcee Laballiere, this relationship is not as destructive as Emily’s because Calixta is not in love with Alcee and is already married. The affair is short lived, only occurring once and is unknown to everyone else. It was one night and one mistake neither was in love or emotionally involved as Emily was with Homer.

There are many differences between Emily and Calixta. Differences between these two women include their background and lifestyle, Emily Grierson grew up with only the love of her father while Calaxta was free to date and love whom ever she desired. Also Emily does not commit adultery as Calaxta does. Emily does not have children to take care of and does not keep up well with herself or the house in which she lives. Calixta on the other hand has a child and a husband and takes care of the house the cooking and sewing. The main difference between Emily and Calixta is that Emily’s relationship with Homer Barron is very destructive in that she becomes ill over him and kills him, not to mention Emily is in love with a man that does not love her back. Calixta’s relationship with Alcee is not destructive because she is not in love with him nor is he in love with her.