I believe that Emily’s actions are the result of her strong independence. She refuses to be criticized by the town when she gallivants around town with Homer Barron without being married to him even though it was frowned upon by the entire neighborhood. She refuses to be left by Homer, so she murders him by giving him the arsenic to drink in order not to lose control of the relationship that she has with Barron and she refuses to pay taxes because Colonel Sartoris told her she was not obligated to.
