The separating isolation continues as Sister aggressively gathers her belongings. Sister is afraid that Stella-Rondo's arrival has bumped her identity from its place in the family circle. She feels like an outsider and is not sure where she fits in. In order to resolve her conflict, Sister decides to regroup and does what she can to isolate herself from her loved ones. This is how she individuates and gains her independence.
Isolation protects pride and ego.
Once isolated, she can begin redefining herself. Though the themes remain the same, her approach is quite different. Clearly, Lorenzo Dow must face the fact that his mission to save souls comes before his commitment to his wife. As she continues to design her separation theme, Welty next introduces us to her dark character, the outlaw James Murrell. Welty very clearly refers to him and defines him as an outsider.