Comparison/Contrast of ‘The Story of an Hour’ and ‘George Starling’

Comparison/Contrast of ‘The Story of an Hour’ and ‘George Starling’
Yushi Zhang
English Second Language III
Robert Hibbard
October 24, 2020
Comparison/Contrast of ‘The Story of an Hour’ and ‘George Starling’
Introduction
Both stories, 'The Story of an Hour" and "George Starling," represent a journey from fear to independence with contrasting themes of inner and outer struggle. 'The Story of An Hour' features a woman undergoing the trauma of her husband's death, while 'George Starling' portrays the story of a black migrant from South to North in a time of crisis for better socioeconomic status . The literary devices used in both stories are remarkable. The essay discusses comparing and contrasting both stories while focusing on plot, themes, and literary devices; meanwhile, it demonstrates a similar theme of skirmish in both stories to control the happenings which remains a highly interesting area to consider. .
Plot Comparison/Contrast
'The Story of An Hour' describes a character Louise Mallard "afflicted with a heart trouble," she cannot bear surprises and shocks (Chopin, 1894, p.1). That is why, when the news of her husband's death in a train accident arrives, she needs to be handled gently. Otherwise, the shock can kill the diseased lady. However, after getting the news, she locks herself into her room in solitude, where her journey from fear to independence begins. She feels nostalgic about the past and ponders upon the expected days of the future. Hence, she tries to overcome the overwhelming news of her husband's death. As she comes out of her room after overcoming her psychological pangs, the sight of her husband, who even himself does not know about any accident, kills Mrs. Mallard (Schmid, 2017). She suddenly dies in front of her husband, sister, and husband's friend, and the doctor declares her death caused by her being overjoyed.
On the other hand, 'George Starling' is a part of the book, ’The Warmth of Other Suns,' which is known to be an the Epic account of America's Great Migration. Like other migrants in the story, George has suffered from a social and economic crisis like Jim Crow laws, which officially segregated black people in the South before leaving for Northern America. He fights for higher wages in the citrus groves' wages before his departure and is an iconic personality among his fellow beings. Getting sick of the degree of race prejudice and financial crisis due to racism, he moves to the North to find better social and economic opportunities (Oshinsky, 2010). He hopes he would be live as a human being and "express myself in a manly way without the fear of getting lynched at night" (Wilkerson, 2010, p.229). His migration as a part of the 'Great Migration' symbolizes the social injustice in America and the value of 'Great Migration' in setting America's current identity.
Both plots progress by depicting two major characters' journeys, 'Louise Mallard' and 'George Starling.' These characters feel the fear of circumstances and attempt to move on to come out as a different, independent personality. The progress of the action of George Starling and the progress of Mrs. Mallard's thoughts set the plot in development. However, in th...