Faulkner and Olsen Analysis

Characters in Faulkner and Olsen

Complex characters tend to be challenging to write, especially in the case of those whose circumstances and actions make them slightly unappealing. William Faulkner and Tillie Olsen, however, show that with brief stories about their characters' pasts, endearment is not so difficult to elicit after all. In Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Emily Grierson's character is shown through the eyes of a collective narrator. In Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing," the narrator looks back on the rearing of a troubled child (also the name of Emily). Both authors retell the stories that bring a sort of reader empathy toward the characters, especially after looking back on the past lifestyles both characters faced.

Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

"A Rose for Emily" is a short story told in five different sections, each reverting to a particular time period as narrated by a...
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