Emily Grierson is a fierce, stubborn lady who stands strong in her perceptions of family honor, wealth and status in society. When aldermen come to collect taxes, she refuses to pay, insisting that her family does not pay taxes. This is based on an age-old rule instituted back in the day when her family was wealthy and the town was in awe of it. When the aldermen come about the smell, she refuses to open the door. When people gossip and whisper about Homer Barron, she refuses to stop seeing him. When her father dies, she refuses to give up the body for severeal days. Through all of these examples, we see her fierce stubbornness and also her familial pride. She also lives in an alternate reality, refusing to see things for how they really are. She refused to admit that her father was dead. She refused to admit that Homer Barron would not be with her forever. She refused to admit that her family honor was fading and that she should pay taxes. She refused to admit that her house smelled as a result of Homer's body. All of these things show that she had a rather demented idea of what was real and what was not; she was stuck in a fantasy land of her own.
Forces that she stood for are lined up with her perception of reality; she stood up for dating who she wanted, and she stood up for her family's traditions and supposed honor in the town. She seemed to be against any progress or change, but wanted things to always remain the same as they had while she was a girl in the town.
I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!
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