Why I Live at the P.O.

Irony is defined as expressing meaning by using language that signifies the opposite. Welty often uses this technique to develop humor in the narrative. Characters often use verbal irony, in which they say one thing while their tone implies the opposite. Sister’s use of irony creates questions surrounding her reliability. The narrator frequently states, “oh, I didn’t mean a thing” (44), implying the exact opposite of what she did mean. Other times, she states “It was the furthest thing from my mind” (44), despite being thoroughly fixated on a subject. Welty also employs dramatic irony—in which the audience is aware of a situation that a character is not—through the dual meaning of “one-sided”: While Sister interprets this literally, the audience is aware that Sister is one-sided in the sense that she seems incapable of seeing or accepting the views of others.

Informal language and the use of Southern dialect are crucial to the story’s characterization and setting, grounding the narrative within small-town Mississippi. These expressions work together with Welty’s use of hyperbole to add to the drama of Sister’s claims in the narrative. For instance, Sister describes Papa-Daddy as having “Gone stone deaf” when he ignores her pleas (45). Of Uncle Rondo’s tendency to drug himself on the Fourth of July, Sister describes the occurrence as “As sure as shooting” (45). The narrator’s dialogue also frequently uses syntax such as “would of” or “ought to of known,” replacing the word “have” with “of,” a grammatical construct that further lends authenticity and regional color to the narrator’s voice.