Comparative Essay: Analyzing Themes and Settings in Two Short Stories

This essay analyzes and compares two short stories: Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" and Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The essay delves into the themes and settings of each story, highlighting similarities and differences. The analysis examines how both stories explore themes of transformation and unexpected changes in characters' lives, despite their contrasting narratives. The essay identifies eerie settings and the reluctance of the main characters to engage in certain actions. It concludes by emphasizing the distinct literary styles and impactful messages conveyed in both works, noting the dark themes and the varying outcomes of the stories, one involving revelation and the other, demise.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF LITERARY WORK
Analysis of literary work
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF LITERARY WORK
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
Discussion......................................................................................................................2
Conclusion......................................................................................................................3
References:.....................................................................................................................4

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Introduction
Literary works are compiled by the authors to showcase their emotions and
feelings. They also act as mirrors of reality where the real life situations of the society
are found to be reflected within such literary works. The purpose of this paper is to
understand the work of “Cathedral” as written by Raymond Carver and the “A Good
man is hard to find” as written by Flannery O’Connor.
Discussion
In the short story titled “Cathedral”, it can be seen that Raymond Carver talked
about a significant change that was brought about in the life of the narrator as a result
of an unexpected event (Young 2017). When Robert, the blind friend of the narrator’s
wife, wanted to visit their house, initially, the narrator was cautious. He did not like
the bonhomie which was shared between his wife and Robert. During his stay, the
narrator did everything he could to make Robert feel uneasy. However, when the
opportunity came to draw a cathedral on a piece of paper, the narrator followed the
advice of Robert to keep his eyes closed (Mitnick 2016). It was during this time that
the narrator realised the importance of not looking through his eyes and even when
asked to do so, he could not open his eyes. He felt that something in his life had
changed when he tried to execute an action without looking at it through his eyes.
A similar theme can also be found in the short story titled “A Good Man is hard
to find” as written by Flannery O’Connor. In the story, Bailey did not want to go to
East Tennessee but had to do so on the request of his mother (O'Connor 2016). On the
journey, they met with an accident and this led them to have an encounter with a
person known as ‘The Misfit’. In a fit of anger, the Misfit ended up murdering the

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entire family. Thus, a reluctant journey led to the demise of the entire family of Bailey
and this brought a significant change in his destiny (Hani 2019).
From the analysis of the theme and setting of the two short stories, it can be seen
that they both had an eerie setting. The main narrators of the stories were required to
do something that the were initially reluctant to do. Furthermore, the stories led to the
change in the lives of the individuals in a drastic manner. They both ended up
changing their fate in a way that they had not anticipated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be noted that the two pieces of literary work are
comprehensive in their own sphere. They have been able to grab the attention of the
audience by virtue of their style of writings and the main message that they sought to
propound. A dark theme has been identified in both the stories.However, while, in the
“Cathedral” a revelation can be observed, in the other story, the demise of a family
can be seen.

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References:
Hani, Mohamad. "Analysis Of Social Problem In A Good Man Is Hard To Find By
Flannery O’ConnoR." English Community Journal 3.1 (2019): 342-349.
Mitnick, Keith. "The Shadow of an Invisible Cathedral." Thresholds (2017): 256-267.
O'Connor, Flannery. A good man is hard to find. Faber & Faber, 2016.
Young, William. "Men, Menace, and Transcendence in Raymond Carver." The
Midwest Quarterly 59.1 (2017): 99-7.