The Lottery vs A Rose for Emily
The eighteen hundreds was one of numerous revolutionary eras that required a great deal of adjustment in peoples' lives. William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" are both short stories which portray the struggles one goes through to avoid the loss of cultural or family traditions during these changing times. Both convey these aspects of human nature and how they result in the demise of the characters throughout the stories. "A Rose for Emily" is a mixed collection of the townspeople's memories of an elderly woman after her death. The woman, Miss Emily Grierson, lived a lonely life, due to her inability to adapt to the changing world. She lived most of her life in solitude, locked up in her old house, refusing contact with the outside world. However, in "The Lottery," it is the town as a whole that is unwilling to accept change. For no other reason other than the fear of change, the town continues the tradition of "the lottery", an annual stoning to death of a random citizen of the town, by the other townsfolk. While the theme of the two stories is similar, its usage in developing the stories varies. This aspect of human nature is used throughout "A Rose for Emily", in analyzing the events of Emi
ly's life. She was a mysterious person to most of the townspeople, due to the fact that she lived the latter part of her life in solitude, afraid to join in with the new world. However, this theme is used during "the Lottery" to add to the suspense as to what exactly the lottery is. Until the last portion of the story, the reader is unaware as to what the lottery is about. Hearing the townspeople question the lottery's usage makes the reader more inquisitive as to what it could be. The life of Miss Emily Grierson through "A Rose for Emily" is depressing due to her unwillingness to conform to the changing world around her. Although the Grierson name was one of the most respected in Jefferson, Emily's father believed that "none of the young men were good enough for Emily" (31). Mr. Grierson did not allow his daughter, even at 30, to make her own decisions. The name and attitudes that Mr. Grierson passes on to his daughter symbolically opposed the change that was going on around them. Even after his death, Miss Emily kept her father's decaying body in the house. She clung tightly to the past telling everyone in the town that he was still alive. One's tendency to resist change is sho
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Approximate Word count = 802
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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