Example research essay topic: Rose For Emily Death Of Ivan - 1,029 words

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William Faulkner was born in the American South, dropped out of high school in tenth grade and published his more popular works between 1954 and 1962. Interestingly enough, Leo Tolstoy was born into a noble Russian family, his official title being Count, entered the University of Kazan at age sixteen and wrote his most popular works between 1865 and 1876. Indeed, on the surface there seems to be very little in common between these two men and yet there exits such overwhelming similarity between the short stories A Rose For Emily and The Death of Ivan Illych in terms of narration, character and theme that it is almost as if the stories were written to complement each other. Perhaps the most glaring similarity between A Rose For Emily and The Death of Ivan Illych makes its appearance in the first few paragraphs of both stories, namely, the deaths of the title characters. This in itself may hardly be spectacular, but the fact is that in each story the protagonist's death was the climax yet both authors chose to reveal this from the very beginning, effectively giving their stories predetermined ends.

It may even have been easier to relate the stories in chronological order of the events, or more artistically appealing to open with the character's early lives, switch to their deaths, and then relate the intermediate events that might have contributed to their tragic ends. However, both stories follow the almost identical format of beginning with the events immediately following the characters' deaths, then giving almost episodic preludes to the deaths (though Faulkner splices his tale a bit more in order to produce his final effect). A more interesting similarity lies in the protagonists themselves. Firstly, although neither work goes into great detail to relate the character's childhoods, Faulkner and Tolstoy make it abundantly clear that while Emily and Ivan may not have experienced perhaps ideal childhoods, they were certainly not unhappy children. Ivan had been "la phenix de la famille" (Section II) and Faulkner states implicitly that Emily was given everything she needed, had been a fine-looking woman and attracted many suitors. Furthermore, both stories explore the theme of a character trying to conform to the norm.

Tolstoy goes to great pains to elaborate just how "most ordinary (... and therefore most terrible) " [Section II] Ivan's life had been. Faulkner also explores this concept of the ordinary life, for although he gives us disturbing insights into just how morbid Emily's life really was, he makes sure to indicate that from the townsfolk's perspective there was nothing really different about Emily except her arrogant manner. Indeed, as far as they were concerned, the Grierson's only "held themselves a little too high for what they really were" (Section II) which to say the least, was greatly understating the problem. Also, both authors make a point of making the two characters quite powerful in the eyes of the public. In Section II of Ivan, It is said explicitly that "The consciousness of his power, being able to ruin anyone he wished to ruin, the importance, even the external dignity of his entry into court, or meetings with his subordinates, his success with superiors and inferiors, and above all his masterly handling of cases, of which he was conscious - all this gave him pleasure and filled his life... " Similarly, in A Rose for Emily, we are presented with an Emily who, fully conscious of her power, makes the druggist quiver when he dares to question her motives for purchasing the poison and was able to vanquish the tax deputation ."..

just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell" (Section II) Emily and Ivan also possess nearly identical attitudes towards the changes around them and as the stories progress they become increasingly reluctant to accept their daily realities. Indeed, Emily seems trapped in time, unable to acknowledge her father's death and unable to realise that the days in which her family commanded the deference of the townsfolk are passed. (Section II: " We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will. "") Ivan Illych, similarly, is unable to accept the reality of his own impending death and even to the end had been denying his own realization that he had not made the most of his life. He revokes Kiezewetter's Logic, convincing himself that "Caius really was mortal, . and it was right for him to die; but for me, little Vanya, Ivan Illych, with all my thoughts and emotions, it's altogether a different matter. It cannot be that I ought to die. That would be too terrible. " (Section VI) And there is more.

Consider that when Ivan Illych was obviously incapable of performing his official duties (... his colleagues and subordinates would see with surprise that and distress that he... was becoming confused and making mistakes. he would... manage somehow to bring the meeting to a close, and return home with a sorrowful consciousness... " Section VI) he became invalid and yet he continued until it was absolutely impossible. Ivan inherited in most part the description of his father who was "an official who...

had made the sport of career which brings men to position from which... cannot be dismissed" (II 1243) Here, then Tolstoy is saying that though he may not have been aware of it, Ivan had become very much the print of his father. Section II of A Rose For Emily contains the passage: We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a straddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back flung front door The passage explains just how much influence Emily's father had on her life, so that earlier in the story when Faulkner describes Emily as a "fallen monument" (Section I) he is suggesting more than the fact that Emily was such a strong object of the town's atten...

Research essay sample on Rose For Emily Death Of Ivan