The Princess and The Birthmark are two skillfully written literary short stories intended to convey the power of self-centered obsession. Possessing many similarities and differences in style, these stories center around three central elements: diction, syntax, and candid tone. Diction or word choice plays a huge part in both of these stories. Chock full of descriptive words and sentences, each story possesses many strong adjectives that help the reader imagine the story and the scene as it unfolds. Describing the inward conflict that Aylmer experiences in the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs, Hawthorne uses words such as “sombre” and “stealthily” to convey the dark revealing thoughts and actions of his troubled character. Conversely, Chekhov in the beginning paragraphs of The Princess uses descriptive diction to describe the peacefulness and beauty of the secluded monastery saying, “From the …show more content…
The Princess possesses a developing tone throughout the story. Beginning in the very first paragraphs the Chekhov writes with a cheerful and serene tone describing “peacefulness” of the monastery. However, Chekhov’s tone transitions quickly from this happy mood to a more revealing and candid outlook as the true nature of the Princess’s egotistical character is unmasked in her conversation with the doctor. “But I am not cross," laughed the doctor, but at once he flushed, took off his hat, and waving it about, began hotly: "To be candid, I've long wanted an opportunity to tell you all I think. . . .” The Birthmark’s raw, unfiltered tone is apparent from the beginning sentences of the story. Obsessed with the birthmark of Georgiana, Aylmer actions and dreams define the tone for the entire piece. Dreaming about the removal of Georgiana's' birthmark Aylmer states “but the deeper went the knife, the deeper sank the hand, until at length its tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of Georgiana's