Short Stories – Compare and Contrast Essay The short stories “The Story of an Hour” and “The Interlopers” both feature shocking storylines; their details differ but are more similar than not. At first glance, the two texts may not appear to be very similar. Further analysis can reveal the wonderful complexity underneath the two thrilling stories. The main differences between the two tales lay in the themes and conflicts. “The Story of an Hour” revolves around the young Mrs. Mallard discovering the freedom of losing her husband. She realizes that she will be more at leisure when she is out of a relationship. In contrast, in “The Interlopers”, the two main characters find their own sort of freedom by forming a friendship. They are excited to put a hindering, lifelong feud behind them. That is, until the wolves come, of course. Each story has its own vision of freedom. …show more content…
Mallard is experiencing some internal conflict in her story. While the loss of a spouse would render anyone heartbroken, it was clear that she had additional emotional stress. It was revealed that her friends were especially worried about her reactions. Mrs. Mallard undergoes deep emotional conflict before settling her mind on the idea that she is finally free. The sudden loss of freedom then broke her inside. Conversely, Gradwitz and Znaeym from “The Interlopers” are imposing the external conflict upon each other. Nature was also waging war on the characters by toppling a tree onto them and sending out wolves. Although some could say that the two main characters were facing some battle inside their minds, the primary type of conflict here is