A Rose for Emily/ the Cask of Amontallido/ Young Goodman Brown

1026 Words5 Pages
The Cask of Amontillado vs. A Rose for Emily Revenge is a very intricate action. It suggests that someone has been deeply wronged. It also asks a question: What is it that drives a person to vengeance? When comparing “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, an interesting theme is shared by the two stories. Both authors use enticing writing styles and literary devices to unfold tales of premeditated murder. Characters Emily Grierson and Montresor are both very similar in their worldviews, yet quite different when regarding their crimes. Exploring concepts such as time, motive and death will illustrate the points of comparison and the reasons behind the need to avenge. The concept of time plays a huge part in Emily and Montresor’s actions and state of mind. The settings used in both stories define this concept very well. Emily Grierson was a Southern lady held at the highest esteem in the town of Jefferson. She lived in a big house built in the seventies with her father, an important figure at the time. Montresor was a well-respected and wealthy man with a very rich family history. This can be inferred by the choice of words used when describing Montresor’s house. He refers to his “palazzo” and says that “there was no attendants at home” (Faulkner), suggesting he owns an estate where he has servants. The times in which Emily and Montresor were raised caused them to have very concrete, old-fashioned values. They were thought of, and thought of themselves, as people to be respected and honored. In A Rose for Emily, “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town…” (Faulkner) and in The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor says, “The Montresors…were a great and numerous family” (Poe). Unfortunately, both these statements contain an important truth. Emily and Montresor
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