Comparing and Contrasting Mathilde and Grandmother

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18th July 2015.
Comparing and Contrasting Mathilde and Grandmother.
When it comes to literary analysis, especially of more than one work, there is usually a case that provides us with an opportunity to critique, summarize, compare and contrast. Sometimes it might be a bit tricky, keeping in mind that the works might have been written at different times in history, by different authors, and having completely different settings .However, it is through a deeper understanding of the main characters and the themes of the stories that might bring up something valuable about similarities .A typical example comes from the comparison and contrast between the main characters in the story ‘The Necklace,’ written by Maupassant, and the story ‘A good man is hard to find,’ by O’Connor. The main characters here are Mathilde and the Grandmother respectively. These two stories and their respective characters centre on tragedies that occur in each of them. An analysis of the two characters reveals both similarities, as well as differences.
Starting with the differences between the two characters, Mathilde, in ‘The Necklace,’ is a young and vibrant lady who has just got married, while the grandmother in ‘A good man is hard to find’ is an old lady. This difference in the ages of the two is the most standout factor when it comes to analysis of their differences, since, through this, other characterizations arise. For example, as a result of the age difference between the two, it can be noted that Mathilde is at a stage in her life where she now wants to explore, to know more and experience more. To be well known by others. On the other hand, the grandmother is at a stage in her life where she has seen it all. She knows she is important, unlike Mathilde who now wants to be important.
Also, Mathilde is extremely successful at controlling, or simply, manipulating her husband into doing things and making decisions, since the husband loved her and was therefore ready to do anything for her to keep her happy. On the other hand, the grandmother has a quite a different situation in her hands. She tries manipulating her son, but is not successful. This might be because he...