How is Emily characterized?

Emily Grierson is characterized as a sort of "fallen monument" after her death. She has been such a fixture in the town for so long, such a representative of a bygone era, that people seem to have a hard time imagining life without her there in her big, elaborate house. The narrator says that she "had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town." In fact, a nineteenth century mayor had once concocted an elaborate story simply so Miss Emily would not have to pay any taxes, as a sort of sign of respect to her late father and her own ladylike self. 
Later, when a horrible smell begins to emanate from Emily's home, town leaders cannot bring themselves to approach her openly about the smell, so they sneak onto her property at night to sprinkle lime into her cellars, dealing with it themselves. They do not want to have to talk to "a lady" about her smelling bad. Even then, she sits in her window, "her upright torso motionless as that of an idol." Again, she is compared to some kind of statue or carving: like a monument, she is still and rigid. Further, when a new generation comes up and tries to collect taxes, a few words from Miss Emily is enough to turn them away, disappointed but unwilling to press the matter any more. She is characterized as rather tough and stubborn, as well as quite intimidating. Even when people feel sorry for her because of her status as an old maid, or as a potentially insane person, she still manages to command respect.