Elements of Gothic Literature:• Setting in a castle
• Mystery and suspense atmosphere
• Ancient prophecy
• Omens, portents, visions
• Supernatural/ inexplicable events
• High, even overwrought emotion
• Omen in distress
• Women are threatened
• Powerful, impulsive
• Metonymy of gloom and horror
• Abandoned by God
• Winter setting
• Mystery and suspense atmosphere
• Ancient prophecy
• Omens, portents, visions
• Supernatural/ inexplicable events
• High, even overwrought emotion
• Omen in distress
• Women are threatened
• Powerful, impulsive
• Metonymy of gloom and horror
• Abandoned by God
• Winter setting
The Similarities between “A rose for Emily” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
The similarities between both stories can be divided into three main categories, namely, the setting of the story, the theme of marriage, and the theme of death. Firstly, both stories occur in a setting of a small and insulated town whose townspeople live on gossip. The townspeople in both stories are very much interested in others’ businesses. This setting plays a key role in the unfolding of both stories. For example, in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner, Emily’s marriage is a hot topic among the townspeople and their opinions influence Emily and her father's decisions for Emily's marriage. Similarly, in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Irving, who Katrina will marry is treated as a big deal in the eyes of the townspeople.
Secondly, in both stories, marriage is conveyed as a trade through which family wealth or social status is exchanged. For instance, in “The Legend of Sleep Hollow,” one reason why both Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones desperately compete for Katrina is to gain her family’s wealth. Similarly, in “A Rose for Emily,” marriage is portrayed as a means to maintain one's social status as seen from the way Emily's father constantly refuse to let Emily marry anyone below the family's social status.
Lastly, in both stories, death is portrayed with an element of mystery. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ichabod’s death is open to the readers’ interpretation with no body being found and the identity of the "chaser" remaining a mystery. Similarly, in “A rose for Emily,” the cause of Homer and Emily's death is not clearly shown. These elements of mystery in both stories revolving death enhance the level of suspense and the readers’ curiosity.
Secondly, in both stories, marriage is conveyed as a trade through which family wealth or social status is exchanged. For instance, in “The Legend of Sleep Hollow,” one reason why both Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones desperately compete for Katrina is to gain her family’s wealth. Similarly, in “A Rose for Emily,” marriage is portrayed as a means to maintain one's social status as seen from the way Emily's father constantly refuse to let Emily marry anyone below the family's social status.
Lastly, in both stories, death is portrayed with an element of mystery. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ichabod’s death is open to the readers’ interpretation with no body being found and the identity of the "chaser" remaining a mystery. Similarly, in “A rose for Emily,” the cause of Homer and Emily's death is not clearly shown. These elements of mystery in both stories revolving death enhance the level of suspense and the readers’ curiosity.
The Differences between “A rose for Emily” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
One difference between the two stories is the role of a legend. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the legend of a headless horseman plays a key role in creating the backdrop of the story. It is this legend that enhances Ichabod’s fear during the night of his mysterious death. It is also this legend and the overall atmosphere of the town of Sleepy Hollow that create a kind of magic in the village that Ichabod describes as “enchanted.” On the contrary, there is no such legend and less of a sense of fantasy in “A rose for Emily," giving the story a bigger sense of realism and less fantasy compared to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
The way death is described is also different between the two stories. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the story ends with the body of Ichabod never being found, elevating the level of mysteriousness in the story. On the contrary, in “A rose for Emily,” the story ends with the townspeople finding the bodies of Homer and Emily, which gives the readers a greater sense of certainty as to what happened to Homer and Emily.
The way death is described is also different between the two stories. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the story ends with the body of Ichabod never being found, elevating the level of mysteriousness in the story. On the contrary, in “A rose for Emily,” the story ends with the townspeople finding the bodies of Homer and Emily, which gives the readers a greater sense of certainty as to what happened to Homer and Emily.