Cask of Amontilaado Vs a Rose for Emily

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A Comparative Literal Analysis

Literary tools have been used in literature by authors to narrate their stories. Such a set of instruments includes themes, points of view, plots, stereotypical characters, setting, tonal and stylistic variations and symbolism among others.  In developing their themes, the shorts stories “The Cask Of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner employ these tools in a variety of ways.

Thematically, both stories focus on the issue of murder. The stories are about the circumstances cultivating to the death of Homer in “A Rose For Emily” and the demise of Fortunato in “The Cask Of Amontillado”. However, the stories differ in their setting. The former's setting is a European city as the names Fortunato, Luchesi (both Italian), Montressor (French), and Amontillado (Spanish) suggest. The events occur during a season of celebration. Comparatively, latter’s setting is in a post-war town whose people are curious about Emily’s character and manner (Faulkner and Inge 46). This setting influences the story by revealing how Emily’s experience being brought up by an overly strict father shapes her notions of love and how these perceptions lead her to murder Hommer.

The setting in Cask of Amontillado has influenced the story by developing the mood of the narrative. The setting sets up a mood of suspense with the general excitement associated with the ongoing carnival. This mood transitions into one that is eerie as the author vividly describes the catacombs as “a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather glow than to flame” (Poe 65).

The short stories contrast in their points of view. A Rose For Emily adopts a first person perspective. A minor character narrates the story. This narrator is unaware of Emily’s thoughts; instead suggesting that Homer “is not a marrying man” implies (Faulkner and Inge 94). Therefore, the audience understands, much like the townsfolk, little about the person that is Emily and can only speculate that Emily murders Homer because he is not marrying her.  On the other hand, The Cask of Amontillado is told in the first person participant point of view. Concerning Montressor, the first person participant reveals, “he ventures upon insult, and Montressor vows for revenge” (Poe 200).

    According to (Chabot and Wetherill), the point of view literary implements is used to develop the plot of both stories. In both stories, points of views are used in plot development as a way to show the underlying contexts of the crimes of murder shared between the two. The first person point of view in “A Rose For Emily”, though letting the reader know of Emily’s past bad experiences losing loved ones, typically alienates the reader from the character of Emily. Contrastingly, the first person participant point of view has been used in “The Cask Of Amontillado” to develop the plot, doing so by revealing the character of Montressor, which A Rose for Emily does not at first.

Plot-wise both stories share certain similarities. For example, the main protagonists, Emily versus Montressor, escape the consequences of murder. In A Rose for Emily, the main character, Emily, kills her acquaintance, Homer Barron. She does so believing that his death means the deceased will be forever hers. Similarly, in The Cask of Amontillado, Montressor suspects that FortuHnado, a close friend deliberately insults him. Montressor intends to revenge Fortunato’s unwelcome behavior, duping him into the catacombs where he is to succumb to his death chained to a wall (Poe, 2000).

Plot-wise both stories share certain similarities. For example, the main protagonists, Emily versus Montressor, escape the consequences of murder. In A Rose for Emily, the main character, Emily, kills her acquaintance, Homer Barron. She does so believing that his death means the deceased will be forever hers. Similarly, in The Cask of Amontillado, Montressor suspects that FortuHnado, a close friend deliberately insults him. Montressor intends to revenge Fortunato’s unwelcome behavior, duping him into the catacombs where he is to succumb to his death chained to a wall (Poe 66).