Thematic Critical Paper Essay Example for Free

Thematic Critical Paper Essay Two stories, â€Å"Miss Brill† by Katherine Mansfield and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, are stories about two women’s lives, so different and yet so similar. Mansfield’s Miss Brill is a character which does not provide us with many details about itself. This is a woman who goes to the same park every Sunday to observe the same people, and is not given by the author any particular details to her appearance or character. The only exact thing we know about her from the story is that she is a teacher. Also the conversation of a young couple in the end of the story gives us a little idea of the Miss Brill’s age.   Here â€Å"No, not now, said the girl. Not here, I cant. But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the end there? asked the boy. Why does she come here at allwho wants her? Why doesnt she keep her silly old mug at home?† (Mansfield 124) the dialogue gives a feeling that Miss Brill is probably a woman in her late forties.   So, the character of this story is not a strong individuality at all, but is more like a â€Å"mirror-character†, which only â€Å"reflects† the story. And though the reader seems can read only about one small episode of Miss Brill’s life, it is vividly understood from the context, that this short episode is actually a â€Å"photocopy† of her whole, everyday routine. This woman seems doesn’t exist. The author shows a human being, living in the society, but there are no interests, dear things, personal ideas or thoughts brought in there with her. â€Å" It was like a play. It was exactly like a play.†¦ They were all on the stage. They werent only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday† (Mansfield 122). In Faulkner’s story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† we are told the life story of Miss Emily Grierson. Unlike in â€Å"Miss Brill† we find here more facts about her life events. We find some information about her background, her â€Å"noblesse oblige† (Faulkner 72), about her relatives, about her personal life, about her life activities, like china-painting etc. Not a small episode of Emily’s life is described, but the author shows us its different stages, periods and accompanying them events. Nevertheless, it does not help us to reveal the Emily’s character. We know nothing about her feelings, her thoughts and ideas about her life events. We meet no comments of hers as to the things happening with her in the story. We only can observe some changes in her appearance with the time flowing, but we are completely unaware of the character’s inner world. We can find and read the judgmental statements or ideas as to Emily’s life, what it must be or mustn’t be like, of those surrounding her, like â€Å" So we were not surprised when Homer Barronthe streets had been finished some time sincewas gone. We were a little disappointed that there was not a public blowing-off, but we believed that he had gone on to prepare for Miss Emilys coming, or to give her a chance to get rid of the cousins†¦.Sure enough, after another week they departed. And, as we had expected all along, within three days Homer Barron was back in town†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Faulkner 73). All these â€Å"we were not surprised†, â€Å"we were a little disappointed†, â€Å"we believed†, â€Å"we had expected† show us that mainly this is a society, which â€Å"forms† a personality and presents it to the world, but not the personality itself grows and develops. So, to conclude it can be said that though the stories describe two different women, two different lives, different sets of circumstances, they still both tell us about people who seem to live in the society,   but at the same time they are isolated and all alone. They are closed to the world, and their inner world is a mystery known by nobody. Are these two women rare examples of the lost souls? Or are they usual people we come across with everyday? That is a question the stories make us think about. Works cited Inge, M. Thomas, ed. William Faulkner: A Rose for Emily. The Merrill Literary Casebook Series. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill, 1970. Mansfield, Katherine. Miss Brill. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Eds. Kirszner, Laurie G,and Stephen R Mandell, 5th ed. Boston: Wadesworth, 2004.