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Comparing The Cask Of Amontillado And A Rose For Emily

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Comparative Analysis Short Story Essay
Both short stories “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “A Rose for
Emily” by William Faulkner highlights the issue of revenge and showcases the outcomes of mental illness. In these stories, the main characters, Montresor and Emily, both suffer from mental illness, which causes them later on in the story to lose their sense of humanity and commit murder. Both Montresor and Emily believe that they have been wronged, and thus seek revenge on the ones who have wronged them by murdering them. Not only do they both commit murder, but also they do so by committing it through inhumane methods. Montresor murders his rival by burying him alive, and Emily by poisoning and preserving her boyfriend's dead body. Both stories “The Cask of Amontillado” and “A Rose for Emily” illustrate two mentally unstable characters who lose their sanity and commit murder, revealing how the actions of people in the upper class, which were unchecked because of their social status, result in the commission of reprehensible actions. In the story The Cask of Amontillado” both Montresor and Fortunato come from high social and prominent classes. In the beginning of the story, one may assume that Montresor did not come from any prominent social class; …show more content…

During those time periods the stories took place, the rich and noble class of society were not checked or questioned about their behavior, which gave them the opportunity to commit many actions including murder without being held accountable. In addition, both stories illustrate the effect of isolation on a person, which can lead to insanity. Both Montresor and Emily were victims of isolation, which impacted their behaviors and actions and drove them to commit

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