Compare and Contrast
Literature powerful works of art are defined in writing styles of John Updike and Katie Choplin. This paper will compare and contrast the difference between two stories of classical authors. These stories will be A and P by John Updike and The Lady of an Hour by Katie Choplin. This paper will also reflect over critical questions from both of these stories to help understand the message of the author. Last, it will reflect on why this literature is important throughout.
The central strong theme found in both stories, is courage and fate of the unknown. Sammy is the main character of A and P story, and he is nineteen year old teenager that takes a risk to defend people he does not know. A risk that cost him his job and his parents disapprove; a risk of a future that is unknown.
In the story of The Lady of an Hour, the main character Mrs. Mallard thought her life was going to be a future of unknown happiness and dread. When hearing of the death of her mean husband, she is relieved to be free from his abused. She is beyond excited.
An excitement that she keeps repeating by saying the word “free” over and over. She comes down the stairs knowing that she will be alone but free of the abuse. She knows her future is unknown, but it will be better then what she has been through. Then at the stairs, her husband walks through the door.
This was a delicate situation for the author mention in the start of the story that Mrs. Mallard has heart diseases. When she sees her husband presumed to be dead, she shrieks and has heart attacks. It is assumed that she died of happiness from seeing her husband.
She dies of the realization that her life of pleasure is gone. Their marriage problems were a secret. Even in today society, countless marriages hold secrets like this one. It seems that not even her sister know of her problems. That is one of the ironies of the stories. It also brings a beautification to the story.
While this story is short, it is potent for so much of Mrs. Mallard do we learn during this. Again, we learn of her unhappiness with her marriage. It reminds the readers of the story with Sammy.
Sammy seems to be a happy teenager throughout the short story. When he quit his job, his fears worry him. This is where it reminds of us Mrs. Mallard. Again, she feared for the life of doom with her husband. When Sammy quit his job, he did not know the path that lay ahead. Neither did Mrs. Mallard know her path of her life after thinking she was a widow, but she was not worried.
When analyzing literature, especially classical literature, like this, critical questions need to be rudimentary ponder to understand the stories and to value the stories. Again, these are two writers that are considering being noble writers of literatures in the book world. As any book lover knows, that is extreme honor and position. Since Mrs. Mallard was to be told gently of her husband death because of her heart disease, why did her sister not tell her instead? Is this because of the role of women in society in that period?
The readers know that Mrs. Mallard sister care for her, for when Mrs. Mallards is in her room after hearing the news of her husband death, her sister checks on her. Again, Mr. Mallard was shown to be unloving and mean to his wife.
This brings it to this point. Because of the time of society, was the abuse in marriage forbidden to talk to, even to relatives? Mrs. Mallard state that in the story that she knows she is alone, but she will be okay. This brings to wonder where is her support center? Again, why are her sister and her not closer?
Again, Sammy quits his job in honor of three young women he felt were being treated unfairly. Again, when he is thinking about his new future he is anxious. That brings to question where is his support system?
Why are support systems needed? Friendships are the key and bandages to a person soul. Countless authors that are classified in the same category as Upkike and Choplin as being elite have mention in previous novels about the importance of friendship.
Not only are questions needed when analyzing literature, but also capturing the detail. These are part of the elements that help and reader value the story an author make.
This is where the author creative writing style is brought into focus. They both have a way of writing that is different but yet powerful. A way to capture the audience which is also essential for being a good author; a way to write a store where the reader assumes the era.
Sammy’s story does not give a date, but it seems to be during to era of 1950 to 1960’s possibility. That is because of Sammy heroic nature for a teenager at that age. That is because of little telling signs here and there from the story that hint about it. This lead to another important point. People can have differences and still share in some of the same journeys of lives. Again, this is seen with Sammy and Mrs. Mallard. Even a teenager and a house worker can have the same fears. That is important because it does not matter a person age; a person will go through a journey with different emotions in their life.
It takes a person on an adventure. This is what makes reading a delicious treats. We learn so much from these stories, but we also feel for their pain. That is because of the brilliance of how Updike and Choplin wrote these stories.
They created these stories with characters that a reader would like. The reasons are because for book lovers at some point of their lives they could relate to Sammy and Mrs. Mallard fear.
Again, Mrs. Mallard story was short but sad. That brings to another point. Mrs. Mallard life was assumed to be short and sad for there was no love. Again, as all readers know the power that love can bring and destroy to individuals.
It also why it makes it seem that Mrs. Mallard might be young women to a middle age women, because of the irony of the short story. Again, it brings more questions.
Questions help to better appreciate the delicious taste of literature.
This is where is reminder that regardless of age, a person cannot forecast the life or assumed the life based on the endings of both of these stories. They stories do give a message of hope even with Mrs. Mallard. Again, Sammy is nineteen years old. At that age, he does not really know what life has in store. It does mention that he lives in a small town. However, there are countless ways that Sammy can still prosper regardless of this act. The process of how he does will be the question.
Why did Mrs. Mallard die then if there was hope a person might ask? She was giddy with happiness of being free of her prior situation. While people assumed it was heart disease condition she has; it probably was just sad and lonely heart problem.
Maybe it was sad and lonely heart that made Sammy leap to be an advocate and white knight for those three girls who walked into A and P with only their bathing suits on. Maybe when his manager was yelling at the one girl, and Sammy wants to protect her, maybe it was because of lack of love that he was receiving. Again, in the story of Sammy’s it is repeated countless times about how Sammy parents would be disappointment with him when they heard about him quitting his job.
What made him fear his parent’s decision so much? This leads to question was there enough love given in that house? Was this do the time period?
Again, we see the masterpieces of both these authors in each of these stories. Readers can understand why these authors are considered noble authors. Readers can understand the messages from each story, can possible have different meaning. Booklovers can understand through these stories the countless messages of these two separate stories, can still provide help, strength and foundations. They stories will leave footprints and they footprints will forever be cherished for many messages it symbols.
