In your initial post of at least 100 words, please answer TWO of the following questions:
Theme: Both stories are about people who are, in some way, limited by their surroundings. In what way is this true and which story handles the theme in a way that you think is more relevant for us today?
Plot: both stories leave a lot out—they are filled with “ellipses” in other words. For instance, “A Rose for Emily” doesn’t really let us see into Emily’s thoughts, and “Why Don’t You Dance?” doesn’t really dramatize what led up to the man’s decision to take all of his furnishings and put them out on his lawn. For each story, consider the following: what “gap” would you like to see filled? That is, which un-narrated events would be interesting to see narrated? And why?
Evaluation: One could argue that both stories are a bit dated. “A Rose for Emily,” for instance, doesn’t have any interesting non-white characters, and somehow “Why Don’t You Dance?” seems a bit old-fashioned too. Do you think either of these stories is likely to “age” better than the other? Explain.
Character: One way to evaluate a story, as we have seen, is by paying attention to how a writer develops a character. Characters should be clearly motivated, consistent in their behavior, interesting or at least sympathetic, and so on. Which of the two stories has the “better” characters in your opinion and why? Try to explain in some detail.
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