The Grierson house was abandoned and left in ruins, inside the house Emily was much the same, alone and unstable. People in her community acted against her while she stood back, isolated and watched what was happening. Emily's best kept secret is revealed after her death. It becomes apparent that the contents of the room above her stairs caused her unimaginable grief and was the final straw that caused her to isolate herself from the outside world. This ongoing sadness is undoubtedly the result of using a coping strategy to deal with difficult life situations such as death and