Introduction
The ‘Petrified Man’ provides a broad perspective over which some issues can be drawn. The characters in the narrative establish the themes that form the basis of understanding of events, behaviors and various dimensions of the story. The short story is a conversation between two individuals Mrs. Fletcher and Leota. All the actions can only be evaluated and analyzed from the lenses of the conversation the two individuals have. The setting colloquy is a small town in America. The discussion between the two main characters is the perfect device that captures the pretentiousness and banality of human encounter.
Welty defines the ...