I Stand Here Ironing And William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

In this essay, I am reviewing two classic short stories. I will evaluate the shorts, and writing about their narration and point of view. Throughout Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” there are different literary elements that set them apart. Firstly, the author uses different point of views to help the reader understand the story, in the way it was meant to be read. In reading “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner uses third person narration to tell the story through an unknown character’s point of view. I know this because throughout the story, the narrator never refers to himself in the story. “She did not ask them to sit.” (Faulkner, 1930) I feel like the author wrote this story’s point of view because it helps the audience …show more content…
The narrator is the main character Emily’s mom. Emily’s mom is burdened with guilt when telling the different events that made the story. She can also be seen as unreliable because she can embellish or even withhold information to make herself look better. In chronological order, the events of Emily’s life are replayed through her mother's memories. The narrator regrets the way she raised Emily, She tries to justify her choices when it came to raising Emily. She feels like Emily grew up different, and distant because of her. “I used to try and hold love her after she came back, but her body would stay stiff, and after a while she’d push away. She ate little. Food sickened her, and I think much of life too.” (Olsen, 1961). The narrator shares her internal conflict in a way that helps the reader view her with compassion. Despite Emily’s bad childhood, her mother still hopes she finds happiness, and finds contentment within herself. “Only help her to know⎯⎯help make it so there is cause for her to know⎯⎯that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron.” (Olsen,