Introduction
“A Rose for Emily,” written by William Faulkner, and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor are two short stories that illustrate the complex relationship between the past and the present. Namely, common topics highlighted in both literature pieces are the time and location setting and the historical changes portrayed through the protagonists’ experiences. Nonetheless, despite the similarities, including the juxtaposition between old and new, a sense of acceptance of evil, and the aforementioned setting, differences persist. Namely, the contrast can be assessed in the level of integration into the new society in both characters, the effect of experiencing loss, and the exemplification of value preservation experienced differently in Emily and the grandmother.
Introducing the Stories
To begin with, it is essential to provide brief information about the two literary works and their main characters that will be explored in the paper. “A Rose for Emily” is a short story portraying Emily as the protagonist. Having lost her father at the age of thirty, the woman isolates herself from the world. Her lifespan aligns with major changes in U.S. history, which Emily cannot accept partly because of being a single woman and partly because of her declining mental health. Precisely because of the latter, she kills Homer Barron, a man she was romantically interested in but who was not reciprocating her feelings.
Further, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is another short story that describes some tragic events. A protagonist referred to as ‘grandmother,’ her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren go on a trip despite there being a criminal on the run. During the car ride, grandmother reminiscences about her past, showing places where plantations were located and complaining about the lost southern values. However, as she instructs her son to take a certain road, the family has an accident and is discovered by the criminal, Misfit, and fellow killers. After everyone but grandmother is killed, she tries to reason with Misfit, accepts him as her son, and touches his shoulder before being shot.
Comparing and Contrasting
Backgrounds
As mentioned earlier, it is possible to find similarities and differences in the short stories based on several major elements, and one may begin by identifying them in the protagonists’ backgrounds. First, Emily is from a family of Southern aristocrats and has preserved the values installed in her by her family and through her heritage (Faulker, 1930, p. 2). Despite the changes in the world, the protagonist is unable to adapt and be integrated into the new society. Interestingly, Emily refuses to support the new system even financially, saying, “I have no taxes in Jefferson” (Faulker, 1930, p. 1). This highlights that integrating into the new way of life is impossible socially, culturally, and economically, which is why Emily isolates herself from the outside world.
The grandmother is portrayed as a proud southern lady who wants to preserve her heritage. For instance, she wears elegant clothing during the car ride so that “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor, 1953, p. 3). The backgrounds of both characters are the basis for how they dress, live, and interact with others. In both cases, the women are somewhat archaic in the things they enjoy and have a proclivity for wanting the same archaism to guide them through life. However, while Emily chooses the lifestyle for herself, her grandmother wants the world to change back to how it was. Thus, the two situations contrast, with one being internal and the other being expressed as a desire to change the external environment.
Settings
Further, it is necessary to discuss the settings in the stories, and one may notice that both Emily and the grandmother live in the South. While the events in the stories take place ten years apart, similar circumstances highlight the racism of the South, which is well documented by researchers (Sobrevilla Perea, 2022). Thus, in “A Rose for Emily,” the juxtaposition between Northerners and Southerners is emphasized, and when people in the town discuss Emily’s potential love interest, they say, “Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner” (Faulker, 1930, p. 3). Similarly, the grandma mentions, “Little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do” (O’Connor, 1953, p. 3).
As a consequence, in both cases, the division between different societal classes is clearly identified both through the description of African Americans as well as the possessions, heritage, and overviews of those of a more aristocratic or well-of background.
At the same time, one may notice that in “A Rose for Emily,” there is a chance for the main character to become more tolerant. Surely, her intention was never to marry an African American, but she truly wanted to have a wedding with a Northerner (Faulker, 1930, p. 2). The fact that she eventually killed the man made her unable to live like others in the changing world and be accepted by society. On the contrary, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the only indication of the protagonist willing to ‘take the rules’ of the changing environment and become a more accepting person is before she dies, but the readers cannot be sure that she actually experiences these intentions. This is the difference that can be highlighted regarding the settings.
Death
Finally, there are also specific similarities and differences in the way grandmother and Emily die or face the death of others. First, one may see that for Emily knowing her father passed away, the death is an illustration of the dying traditions and values of the old world. Death, in this case, is a catalyst for the protagonist’s declining mental health and isolation from the outside world. For instance, it is stated that “after her father’s death, she went out very little” (Faulker, 1930, p. 2). The statement is a metaphor for the death of what Emily was accustomed to and has been passed down through generations.
While death creates despair, destruction, and psychological decline in the first story, it symbolizes and brings grace in the second writing. Thus, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the instance in which death is illustrated is the killing of the grandmother’s family before she herself is shot. However, after her family is murdered, she turns to religion and tries to reason with the criminal by stating that he is one of her children (O’Connor, 1953, p. 13). The grandmother finds grace as death is close to her, revealing one of the few moments in which she is self-aware and in tune with the outside world. In contrast with “A Rose for Emily,” in which death is dark and gruesome, first when Emily loses and father and then when she kills her love interest, the grandmother associates death with finding grace and accepting the world for what it is.
Conclusion
To conclude, the short stories “A Rose for Emily” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” share a similar setting and specific characteristics of the protagonists. The women live in the past and cannot identify themselves with the dynamic world. The illustration of the South and its connotation is also present in both literature pieces. However, the contrast between the perception of death and isolation versus dismissal are elements that constitute the differences.
References
Faulkner, W. (1930). A rose for Emily. Gothic Digital Series.
O’Connor, F. (1953). A good man is hard to find. Gothic Digital Series.
Sobrevilla Perea, N. (2022). The abolition of slavery in the South American Republics. Slavery & Abolition, 1–19. Web.