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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 4 page report discusses O'Connor's short story and Browning's "dramatic monologue." In comparing the primary characters of each, the writer makes the assertion that the character of the grandmother is more selfish than Browning's duke. Bibliography lists only the primary sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_BWgooman.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
A Good Man is Hard to Find, OConnor actually names her misfit "The Misfit." The primary character "The Grandmother" is something of a misfit herself but her personality quirks and
attitudes are more easily understood. Nonetheless, she is clearly a selfish, old woman whose greatest concerns revolve around herself -- her beliefs, her memories, her ideas. In comparison, Robert Browning
(1812-1889) presents his readers with a commentary, a "dramatic monologue," about a woman in a portrait. She is both a person and an objet dart. The artist (not known in
history) is Fra Pandolf, and he has created a painting that the Duke casually refers to as "Thats my last Duchess." The attitude conveyed by the Duke is one in
which the reader feels a sense of disregard or dismissal. It is almost as if he is pointing out a piece of furniture and saying "that was my grandmothers armoire."
The reader understands that the woman in the portrait was a lovely possession and, apparently, not one that was particularly treasured since she or "it" had some obvious flaws. Who
Is More Selfish? As Browning presents the Duke, it is clear that he is a man of prestige, power, and a significant measure of arrogance. The Grandmother certainly has her
own measure of arrogance but little real power. As the student constructs his or her essay comparing the two, it will be important to note that the Dukes attitudes are
grounded in wealth and heritage. The Grandmother is simply a foolish, opinionated old woman living with her son and his family. As the Duke describes the woman in the painting
to his unnamed guest, he never refers to her by name. He and The Grandmother share the same attitude that nothing and nobody is as important than they themselves are.
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