Introduction
Writers Marlin Barton and William Faulkner did not pay much attention to the detailed description of their characters, which is justified by the limited scope of their work. The primary source of perception of the nature of the central figures is the author’s descriptions of their way of thinking and the decisions they made. The parallel analysis of the two short stories leads to the conclusion that both characters, Miller and Emily, not only have similarities in terms of worldview and storytelling, but also differences. The protagonists differ significantly in several key details, such as their inner strength and type of relationship with other people.
The Brief Description of A Rose for Emily
“A Rose for Emily” begins and ends with a scene of death that describes a cemetery where Emily Grierson should rest among the graves of soldiers from the North and South. Having lived a long life against the backdrop of the momentous changes that the North’s victory over the South brought with its madness and poverty, Emily remains committed to the moral code of the South. It is no surprise that the reader can imagine the woman as powerful and restless, deeply convinced of her views on the world. Faulkner wrote about Emily: “She passed from generation to generation – dear, incapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse,” (Faulkner 262). Being the historical memory of the town, she was a burden on the new tenants. A similar role, although not for the citizens, but for his family, played the protagonist of another short story, Miller.
The Brief Description of the Short Day, Dog Days
Miller, the main character in the short story “Short Day, Dog Days,” is full of life and experiences. Martin Burton tells the story of a man who has serious problems in a relationship. One day, Miller saw a flying saucer, but, as usual, no one believed him (Barton 188). After a while, newspaper journalists published this story, making Miller a laughingstock in the eyes of society. The tale begins with the main character’s relationship to this newspaper when he says, “I don’t care what people read,” (Barton 188). The reader may think that Miller is a rebel who does not count on the opinion of the majority and despises everyone around him. However, it becomes clear that a character is a weak man who broke the connection with his family and went deeper into the story of the flying saucer.
Views of the World
The plots told by the two authors allow readers to highlight several common qualities of seemingly different protagonists. Both Miller and Emily are people who have gone away from reality. While the whole country is moving forward, Emily has to maintain its reputation and live in the home (Faulkner 254). The study of Miller’s view of the world leads to similar results. As society develops and LGBT rights are recognized, he remains disobedient to progress, living in his village where “people… don’t call the law just because a gun goes off,” (Barton 193). Being hidden from civilization, the protagonists fight the new world in the way they can.
Loveliness
Another similarity of the protagonists of two different universes may be the fact that they are both unhappy in love. Miller leads his relationship with his wife to a crisis that causes her to lose patience and move out of home (Barton 198). Miller was concerned about his life and the lives of his dogs and spends little time with his partner. Although the theme of love in Faulkner’s book is described in less detail, it is not difficult to understand that the death of Emily’s husband is hardly accidental. These thoughts may be induced by the sudden death of her husband and the atmosphere of mystery that existed in the house until the very last day.
Character’s Nature
The study of similar features of the characters allows one to compare two stories, but the search for differences gives more insight into the identity of literary works. Throughout the tale, Emily’s strength of character is impressive. She has become canonical for Jefferson; therefore, she may not pay taxes (Faulkner 255). Miller creates an opposite sensation for the reader. The man has no influence or inner power, and the women control his actions. (Barton 198). The sheriff who comes to him embodies masculinity and power, and, on his background, Miller looks much weaker. It is interesting to note how differently the protagonists looked at the world around them. While Emily did not leave the house, as the house was her abode, Miller tried to escape. He regularly went camping for a few days, slept in the woods, and sat on the porch (Barton 195). He was probably so dissatisfied with the family atmosphere inside that he could not stay at home. Miller was the explorer seeking to discover new worlds, and Emily, on the contrary, was hiding behind doors as safely as possible.
The End of the Story Line
One more difference found between the characters most fully draws the line between them. Despite all of Emily’s power and strength, lack of interest in what is going on the outside, and feeling of complete safety, she dies weak and painful. Faulkner creates the finale, which does not give room for imagination. When Emily dies, the city continues to live its life as if throwing off the weight (Faulkner 264). On the contrary, Barton does not kill Miller, emphasizing his unrevealed potential (Barton 201). After reading it seems that this story should have a continuation because there is no finale. The last lines of the “Short Days, Dog Days” give hope that the man is not crazy, and soon, he can be understood and accepted.
Conclusion
Comparative analysis of the characters of two literary works shows the presence of similar and different features. The described distinctions in the nature of the protagonists and the end of their storyline allow a more in-depth assessment of their role in stories. The study of comparable views of the world is of particular interest because both characters, Emily and Miller, live in entirely different cultural environments, but have similar problems.
All of this leads to the conclusion that the main characters of “A Rose for Emily” and “Short Days, Dog Days” have several common attributes.
Works Cited
Barton, Marlin. ” Short Days, Dog Days.” Shenandoah, vol. 60, no. 1-2, 2010, pp. 188-201.
Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” Collected Stories of William Faulkner, Edited by John Carradine and Anjelica Huston, Random House, Inc, 1958, pp. 170-179.