The Tragedy of Miss Emily's Life is a common reality that repeated itself in the lives of many belles in the post-Civil War United States. A combination of the lack of options for women to improve their lives and the snobbish nature of the upper classes of society has condemned women to a life of waiting for the long-sought suitor. Upper-class women, because of their education, were educated not to accept as husbands any man who did not possess a certain amount of material possessions. This training and its implementation by well-meaning aunts and mothers was so arduous that young women could be counted on to see to it without any assistance when they reached adulthood. If Miss Grierson had been born into a more flexible social class, socializing among her peers would have been encouraged. Different peer groups tend to nudge or at least push each other in the right direction. Miss Grierson would have benefited from such attention from young women her age who would encourage her to courageously ignore the maxims of her parents and her class and make her own decisions. Once her choices are made, she could once again benefit from the attention of her peers who defend her right to make such a decision. She would not have felt obligated to hide the decisions she made regarding her lovers. However, her era did not encourage such closeness or affection between upper-class women. Courage and individuality were also not encouraged in aspects of the female character. A woman who insisted on doing things differently from the way society insisted she do was judged to be fickle and irresponsible. Spouses had to be acquired within their own social class and not across the fence (Ziff,...... middle of paper ....... They were taught that meekness and a mean-spirited attitude were the right characteristics to adopt These would attract the attention of powerful men who would then seek to "protect" them Emily Grierson adopted such a pose, ultimately the same society that insisted that she adopt. these characteristics judged her for not having a husband She was helpless in her snobbish character, being too firmly set in her ways and unable to adopt other mannerisms that would help her expose herself to society. She became, tragically, a victim of herself. Works CitedMc Cutcheon, Marc Everyday Life in the 1800s: A Guide for Writers, Students, and Historians Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 2001Ziff, Larzer. American 1890s: The Life and Times of a Lost Generation Lincoln: UniversityOf Nebraska Press., 1979