John Cheever’s “The Country Husband” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” are two short stories that share some distinct similarities in their respective themes and characters. At the same time, they also feature unique elements that make each story a unique experience.
Write a paper in which you compare john cheever’s “the country husband” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”,
Both stories contain a protagonist who is struggling to find his place in society. In “The Country Husband,” Francis Weed struggles to fit into the country life he has chosen after leaving the city. He feels unmoored, wondering whether to live up to expectations or go off on his own path. This can be seen when he sees himself as an outsider among his rural neighbors, noting “the old men had looked at him with suspicion…as though they feared he might introduce some outlandish custom from the cities” (Cheever). Similarly, Emily Grierson of “A Rose for Emily” is portrayed as an isolated figure trying to cope with her place in society after her father’s death. She is seen by many as disconnected from her community because of her reclusive nature; she “carried [her] head high enough-even when we believed that she was fallen” (Faulkner). Both protagonists feel out of touch with those around them due to distance created between themselves and their communities by societal constraints.
In both stories, marriage and relationships are presented as opportunities for growth but ultimately come up short due to expectations set by society. In “The Country Husband,” Francis tries desperately to maintain harmony within his family unit while still pursuing personal interests outside of it but fails; thus exposing how difficult it is for him reconcile what it means be a husband, father and individual all at once. As far as marriage goes in Faulkner’s tale of Emily, an ideal relationship never materializes despite various attempts on her part – such as inviting Homer Barron over frequently – likely due to being judged harshly by others in town because of class differences and rumors about sexual indiscretions on Emily’s part throughout her life time making finding true love impossible as well; indicating how social stigma can deprive one from experiencing intimacy even if desired strongly enough .
Despite their similar themes—isolationism versus conforming—these stories take different approaches towards storytelling techniques which contribute greatly towards each story’s atmosphere and tone respectively: Cheever tells us Francis’ story from third person point-of-view while Faulkner uses first person collective point-of-view narrate events surrounding Emily Grierson which helps create intense suspenseful tone but ultimately keeps readers guessing until very end what really happened during fateful night she spent alone with Homer Barron inside crypt like room located inside back yard; making audience feel almost voyeuristic at times especially near end when gory details revealed about fate Miss Grierson had planned for man whom everybody assumed was already dead before truth finally exposed .
Overall, John Cheever’s “The Country Husband” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” both explore similar themes through vastly different methods resulting in two thought provoking experiences composed masterfully crafted prose delivered cleverly by iconic authors who changed literary landscape forever . Even though these short tales feature many commonalities , there are still certain qualities entwined within each tale which makes them entirely distinct works deserving admiration appreciation alike.