Story Of An Hour Rose For Emily English Literature Essay

There are a lot of big words out there that are pretty complex, but some of the most complex words are only four letters long. To name a few: “h-a-t-e”, “l-o-v-e”, “l-i-f-e”, and “t-i-m-e”. When one focuses on the word “love”, many complications are found. Whether it’s wanting to find love, wanting to leave love, trying to fix love, or trying to determine love, people always find themselves in a rut. Both “Story of an Hour” and “A Rose for Emily” have victims who possess mentalities that have been created over time and that impact the way that they deal with love. In “Story of an Hour”, the victim (Louise Mallard) feels as though she is being suffocated by a faulty-love; in “A Rose for Emily”, the victim (Emily Grierson) suffered with the feeling of the urge to “make up” for time lost as a child and young woman.

Emily Grierson and Louise Mallard have so many commonalities that the differences are small, but enough to make a difference. Both women have a history of being associated with being involved with strict men. In Story of an Hour, it’s Brently Mallard who is controlling; Louise has a man in her life, but does no longer want him there. This can easily be seen at the joy she gets from hearing of his death,- rather the suspected tears and sobbing, her hate overrules her, and, ultimately, kills her. In A Rose for Emily, it was Emily’s father who kept getting mentioned. Emily’s father did not want her to have a man in her life- he tried so hard to keep her from them. When he had passed away, Emily was so concerned with the thought of being left alone that she didn’t want anybody to take his body. As time went by, and Emily got older, she began a relationship with a man- he soon tried to leave her. Because of this, Emily killed him and nobody found his body until after her own death. Louise died from a hate that she held towards her husband, while, oppositely, Emily died from a desire to be loved- forever- and the everlasting fear of being left alone.

To play off of that, Emily didn’t die out of love, her boyfriend did. Emily murdered her boyfriend so that he would not perish from her. Then, with time, she passed away. Louise, on the other-hand, was rejoicing because she had thought that her husband had died- she insisted on praising, “free, free, free”- but the actuality of all this is that he is really alive- and when she discovers this, she dies from grief- the thought continue to endure her life with him is miserable and unsettling.

In comparison, both Emily and Louise had died from some sort of “heartbreak”. Emily had suffered from the heartbreak of losing every man that she had ever cared about, and Louise died with the knowledge that her husband was still alive. Unfortunate for the both of them, their stories continue to be told in everyday life. Both are common and very tragic. In fact the theme of “love” and “brokenness” often appears in writing- it is seen in every type of writing ranging from “professional” to high school blogger.

When it all comes to a close, it can be questioned: “Was love really the killer, or were these men?” If both of these ladies died as a result from these men, are the guys to be found guilty? Or is love really going to be dubbed the murderer? These women died from a love that is hard to bear with- the unwanted love and the strive to be loved are two dangerous paths to be on. And in the end, it got the best of both Emily and Louise.