There is an elephant in the room in this novel. The Daughters of the Late Colonel are stuck between appearances and their true unfettered opinion. A good character analysis would isolate their personalities and then see what is lying underneath all their defense mechanisms. What is the truth of their point of view? And why is it so difficult for them to agree, to settle a decision, and to say their piece? The answer is that, although they dearly love their father, they are quite glad that he is dead.
That does not mean they are not mourning. They still feel deep agony and anguish because of his death, but simultaneously, they are relieved. For instance, when the clergyman offers them the sacrament, they turn him down, showing their disinterest in Patriarchal systems of order. Well, their father was a colonel—a man of establishment and authority. Here they accidentally betray their true opinion; they are convinced by honor and remain steadfast in their honor of their father, but secretly, they see the world very differently than their father did, as he was a civil servant in authority hierarchies.
That does not mean they do not love him. They explain that they do love him, but look at their personalities. The house that shaped their personalities was defined by negativity and pessimism. Without a domineering father to take charge in every little situation, the girls are confused by their newfound authority, and they cannot come to any agreement. Their vestigial negativity and pessimism make them likely to retaliate, which makes them defensive. They are quiet, and they are damaged, but underneath the façade, they secretly share anger against their father, and secretly, they cannot decide whether he is right or whether they are. In any case, they are newly freed from his domineering behavior.
