The Inaccessible Inner Life of Wakefield Essay

Loneliness, isolation, and emotional withdrawal; all characteristics of the short story “A Rose for Emily” and the newspaper article “A Woman’s Wintry Death Leads to a a Long-Dead Friend.” These two writings tell the “same” story, but the journalistic article and fictional story have quite different versions. Considering these many similarities and differences within the stories, the short story and newspaper article accurately showcase the overall differences between a fictional and nonfictional retelling of an event.

In his ironically titled story, “Devotion,” Adam Haslett introduces Owen, a middle-aged man who lives with his sister in their deceased parents’ home in England, and as they both prepare for a visit from a special friend, his hidden fears and emotions are awakened. As the author reveals the intricacies of the bond between the siblings it is clear their relationship isn’t as loving and healthy as it could seem, but is instead a harmful relationship that keeps them away from a normal life in a larger world. Relying on flashbacks, letters, and symbolism to unravel the reasons Owen and Hillary live together in their parents’ home, Haslett also conveys how fear of being alone can make a person selfish and cause them to inadvertently ruin someone

The first-person perspective, as presented in the story, is a vital tool used by John Edgar Wideman to plant a seed in our minds. Wideman’s use of first-person perspective, not only allows him to explain his story as the narrator, but also enables him to provoke an argument that is viewed through his perspective. The instigation of evoking thought is possible because we eventually trust Wideman, such as trusting him in the belief that "You begin and right in the eye of that instant storm your life plays itself out for you in advance" (Wideman 570).

As the women walk through the house, they begin to get a feel for what Mrs. Wright’s life is like. They notice things like the limited kitchen space, the broken stove, and the broken jars of fruit and begin to realize the day-to-day struggles that Mrs. Wright endured. The entire house has a solemn, depressing atmosphere. Mrs. Hale regretfully comments that, for this reason and the fact that Mr. Wright is a difficult man to be around, she never came to visit her old friend, Mrs. Wright.

In the short story, A Jury of Her Peers, Minnie Wright, the main character, is accused of murdering her husband, John Wright. The story takes place during an investigation at the Wright’s home. There are 5 people involved; the sheriff, Henry Peters, and his wife Mrs. Peters, one of Minnie’s neighbors, Lewis Hale, his wife Martha Hale, and George Henderson, a county prosecutor. The story narrated by Martha Hale, where she develops throughout the story into a strong woman. Susan Glaspell, the author, uses many techniques such as verbal and dramatic irony, characterization, and symbolism to bring the literature to life throughout the story.

In Susan Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers, she writes a clue seeking story of how the sheriff will find enough evidence to charge Minnie Wright of the murder of her husband John. The story starts off with Mr. Hale telling his story of how he went over to the Wright’s only to learn Mr. Wright was dead. The story then focuses on the two women Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, as they discover more and more evidence in the kitchen while they are gathering things to take to Minnie Wright in jail. Glaspell uses character conflict, and plot to help guide the reader into a story about moral conflict.

The narrator’s diction on the page can be described as vain due to the fact he doesn’t need an introduction when the narrator says it is “not really necessary” (4). The narrator’s diction reveals that he has a methodical, stone cold personality that puts the narrator in a more superior position then the human race. Achieving

Additionally, gender roles affect Mrs. Wright’s (also known as Minnie) reaction to oppressive marriage. Before marriage, Minnie was a carefree independent woman who was active in her community. She always dressed in pretty clothes and was one of the town girls singing in the choir (Glaspell 1111). After marriage, Minnie’s life became sad and lonely due to the lack of children and the lack of empathy and warmth from her husband. Glaspell provides the reader glimpse of Mr. Wright’s character through Mrs. Hale’s description of him being honest and upright, but he was a “hard man” and not very amiable (1114). The Wright’s marriage is a perfect example of the effects of traditional gender roles. Mr. Wright represents the traditional role of male dominance in marriage by controlling Minnie’s life through isolation and removing anything that would bring her happiness. Although Minnie became submissive in order to conform to the demands of her husband, she took back control when she murdered her husband in the same fashion as he did to her pet canary (1116).

The characters in this short story all play a very important role; the men vs. the women. It is vital to take into account of the condescending remarks made by the men towards the women. After Mr. Hale described the scene of when he found Mrs. Wright on her rocking chair and her murdered husband, they decided to go upstairs and look for crucial clues. Mr. Hale told the two women to stay in the kitchen and search for anything that may be of importance to their case, however, he then said nonchalantly, “but would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?” (p. 383) They said it with absolutely no remorse, and intentionally

A narrator, who is without a name, tells of his first hand experiences throughout the story. This is in contrast to ‘Miss Brill’ in which narrative is delivered in the third person, with the use of free indirect speech to depict the story and portray the characters. By Wells selecting a first person narrative he draws the reader closer into the character’s mind set. This gives Wells the ability to convey the primary characters full spectrum of emotional thought, from open mindedness to the conflict and fear within him. First narrative provides the reader insight to thoughts and observations therefore adding suspense of the unknowing into the gothic style.

Finally, the reader is introduced to the character around whom the story is centered, the accursed murderess, Mrs. Wright. She is depicted to be a person of great life and vitality in her younger years, yet her life as Mrs. Wright is portrayed as one of grim sameness, maintaining a humorless daily grind, devoid of life as one regards it in a normal social sense. Although it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Wright is indeed the culprit, she is portrayed sympathetically because of that very lack of normalcy in her daily routine. Where she was once a girl of fun and laughter, it is clear that over the years she has been forced into a reclusive shell by a marriage to a man who has been singularly oppressive. It is equally clear that she finally was brought to her personal breaking point, dealing with her situation in a manner that was at once final and yet inconclusive, depending on the outcome of the legal investigation. It is notable that regardless of the outcome, Mrs. Wright had finally realized a state of peace within herself, a state which had been denied her for the duration of her relationship with the deceased.

       As the tale begins we immediately can sympathize with the repressive plight of the protagonist.  Her romantic imagination is obvious as she describes the "hereditary estate" (Gilman, Wallpaper 170) or the "haunted house" (170) as she would like it to be.  She tells us of her husband, John, who "scoffs" (170) at her romantic sentiments and is "practical to the extreme" (170).  However, in a time

In To Room 19, Susan Rawlings becomes emotionally and physically isolated from her family after learning of her husband’s infidelity. Susan struggles with processing the affair; intelligent Susan tries to ignore the affair and act like it didn’t matter “the whole thing was not important” (866 Lessing), emotional Susan is confused and betrayed. Susan’s inner turmoil over the affair causes her to begin to crave complete isolation from her family and the world around her. “In that case why did Susan feel…as if life had become a desert, and that nothing mattered, and that her children were not her own?” (867 Lessing). In The Yellow Wallpaper, the storyteller becomes isolated following the birth of her first child. Her isolation, unlike Susan’s is involuntary. Having been diagnosed by her husband with “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (580 Gilman), the storyteller is “absolutely forbidden to work” (581 Gilman) until she is well. Although she believes that “congenial work with excitement and change” (581 Gilman) would benefit her, she yields to

The short stories, “Turned”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Good Corn”, by H.E Bates provide strong examples of how the representation of characters influence’s the reader’s perception of a text. Both stories depict similar characters: a middle-aged, childless wife, her husband and an 18-year old girl who works for them. They are both about a similar situation: man cheats on wife with girl and girl falls pregnant. However, the author’s of the text are from very different backgrounds and this is reflected in their stories. Although there are many similarities between “The Good Corn” and “Turned”, the values reflected in these stories, their resolutions and the reader’s perception of them are vastly different due to the contexts of

At first glance, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, and Henrik Isben’s A Doll House seem to have nothing in common. However, the short story and plays have many similarities. Particularly, five women from these tales— Louise Mallard, Minnie Wright, Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Hale, and Nora Helmer—make drastic decisions that appear to be motiveless. Without context, any reader could be confused by Louise’s death, Nora’s departure, and Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale’s unanimous effort to cover up the murder that Minnie Wright committed, which also seems to lack serious motive. However, all of these women’s settings, situations, and lives have connections that make their motives similar. Emotion motivates all five women—not just