Hester and Celie - Hostetler

Up until recent decades, society has assigned roles to people by their gender and has been heavily oppressive of women. The capabilities of women have always been questioned and restricted by the "superior" male counterparts. This is why so many novels and cinematic productions have become so popular and sought after when the story relates to women breaking through the reigns of men. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Alice Walker both published stories of maltreated women during a time when this male tyrannization was acceptable and expected. Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter and Celie from The Color Purple are both female protagonist who dealt with the struggles of societal inferiority, yet dealt with it in contrasting fashions.

The isolation of Hester Prynne arose from the guilt society instilled upon her breast for breaking Puritan Law and disgracing her name with sin. No one in the area wanted to be associated with the the hell bound sinner, therefore making Hester's life rather lonely, "Lonely as was Hester's situation, and without a friend on Earth who dared to show himself" (Hawthorne, 57). With her collapsed social status, she was made a spectacle within the community, practically foreign. The scarlet letter branded upon dress identified herself among others to be culturally exiled, "When stranger looked curiously at the scarlet letter, ---and none ever fail to do so, ---they branded it afresh into Hester's soul; so that, oftentimes, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, from covering the symbol with her hand" (Hawthorne, 60). Exposing her to stern ridicule and harassment, the token slowly tore apart at Hester's spirit. Because women at that time were assumed to eventually fall to sinful desires, her adultery only made the bedevilment worse, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there no law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statue-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray" (Hawthorne, 38). The audience member voicing this sentiment upon Hester's punishment implies that no woman, by nature, is able to control herself or her sins. In repercussion, society assumes her sinful nature after falling to adultery, and give the verdict of a lifetime of embarrassment. From the scarlet letter punishment arises the personal burden of coping with her eternal societal isolation and sadness.

I'm relation, Celie feels the same sadness and isolation, but it stems from constantly submitting to the will of others and refusal to stand up for herself. From the beginning, Celie accepts the fate of physical abuse and rape from her father (later finding out he's not her father) as admissible. Sofia is sure to bring it up to Celie, "...to tell the truth, you remind me of my mama. She under my daddy thumb. Naw, she under my daddy foot. Anything he say, goes. She never say nothing back. She never stand up for herself" (Walker, 43). Celie is sold off like property to marry Mr. _________, and the abuse simply continues. As Mr. _________ deems fit, he does not refrain from physically punishing Celie, "Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr. _________ say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for—he didn't finish" (Walker, 23). It was socially acceptable to beat your children at that time, and Mr. _________ treated Celie just like another child he can abuse, "He beat me like he beat the children. Cept he don't never hardly beat them. He say, Celie, git the belt. The children be outside the room peeking through the cracks. It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you are a tree. That's how come I know trees fear man" (Walker, 23). Being submissive and covering her true feelings are not only what fuels her sadness and isolation, but they are the societal expectations that have been placed on women during this era and prior to.

Hester Prynne always possessed an equal resistance to the role she was placed in as Celie, yet she passively accepts what society have given and lives the rest of her life doing what is expected of her. Through the conditioning of her neighbors, she becomes the model Puritan woman, quiet and submissive, "Even the attractiveness of her person has undergone a similar change. It might be partly owing to the studied austerity of her dress, and partly to the lack of demonstration in her manners. It was a sad transformation, too, that her rich and luxuriant hair had either been cut off, or was so completely hidden by a cap, that not a shining lock of it ever gushed into the sunshine" (Hawthorne, 112). In addition to the coarse dress and rigid cap, Hester put all others problems before her own. She indicated to the community her acceptance of the brutal environment through selfless acts of charity and love to help not only the underprivileged, but the whole economy for everyone, "It was perceived, too, that, while Hester never put forward even the humblest title to share in the world's privileges, ...she was quick to acknowledge her sisterhood in the race of man, whenever benefits were to be conferred. None so read as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even the the bitter-hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarchs robe" (Hawthorne, 110). Only in Hester's mind exists a disconnection from the conformities of society, but it is a natural part of her character to follow the status quo. She buries the will for rebellion and humbly faces the letter's packaged torment and burden behind constant charity, "Standing alone in the world, ---alone as to any dependence on society, and with little Pearl to be guided and protected, ---alone, and hopeless of retrieving her position even had she not scorned to consider it desirable, ---she cast away the fragments of a broken chain. The world's law was no law for her mind" (Hawthorne, 112). By conforming to the expectations of Puritan dogma, she only gains herself isolation and sadness.

In contrast to Hester's outcast lifestyle, Celie found the blessing of Shug's love to help her break through the expectations of both her husband and the society surrounding her. The process of empowering herself is initiated when Shug tries to convince her to not let herself be abused by Mr. _________. However, it was only after the discovery of Nettie's hidden letters when Celie let out her true anger, "Naw, I think I feel better if I kill him, I say. I feels sickish. Numb, now" (Walker, 151). Expressing her hidden desire to murder Mr. _________ allowed Celie to take her first action in confronting him. During this triumphant moment at the dinner table, she expels all of her repressed anger that had been boiling up inside, overcoming the his expectation of women, ignoring acceptance and seeking just results, "You a lowdown dog is what's wrong, I say. It's time to leave you and enter Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need" (Walker, 207). Blatantly a step aside from social normality, the men around the table sat flabbergasted at Celie's statements. The women understand society's misconception and back up the words of Celie to laugh in the face of their oppression.

Hester Prynne and Shug Avery - Dickens

Throughout our lives, we will come across all sorts of people: big, small, short, tall, smart, athletic, weird, the list goes on. However, we will also come across people that we find many similarities with and with whom we are able to connect with on all levels. These people tend to become some of our greatest friends. However, despite the deep connections you can form with other people through staggering similarities and equal beliefs, there will always be the few differences you find in personality and appearance and beliefs that separate you from your friends. We are all unique in our own special ways no matter how many similarities two people may have. When I read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Color Purple by Alice Walker, I could sense and feel a connection between Hester Prynne and Shug Avery. However, I believe the reason why I felt the connection between these two empowered, beautiful, strong-headed women, is because I felt I also was able to relate to them and their personalities.

In The Color Purple, Shug Avery is represented as an oddball of sorts in the society she lives in and is amongst. She faces many obstacles but never seems to let any of these obstacles phase her. An example of such obstacles would be how Shug strives to be an independent woman as a black female, in a time where being a African-American and a female basically automatically puts you at the bottom of the social pyramid where you are frowned upon or seen as worse than those “superior” to you. Yet, despite theses great odds, she fights back anyways and expresses herself in ways against the standards of society. Similar to which, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester is ridiculed and scoffed at by the Puritan society where she lives with her (previous) husband, despite how she feels isolated amongst them. Against the obstacle she is faced with when she is forced to wear a cap with the letter “A” on it as her punishment for committing adultery, having an affair with a man for whom she cared for while married to her husband who she does not love. Instead of subjecting herself to the humiliation however, not long after being granted this punishment, she speaks out to the Puritans and rips the “A” off that hat. Both women find ways to combat society in extraordinary ways.

The previous point made that pointed out their similarities focused on their personalities, specifically their desire to stand up for what they believe in, and their driven nature to do so. However, their similarities don’t only lie in their personalities, but in their physical appearance as well. Both women, Hester Prynne and Shug Avery, were known by their surrounding communities for being some of the most beautiful and gorgeous women in the land. Hester is physically described in the book at the beginning as a tall young woman with a "figure of perfect elegance on a large scale." Additionally noted as her most impressive feature, is her "dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped." Shug is described as beautiful with the most gorgeous hair and most perfect body. Another character in The Color Purple, Celie, often finds herself gawking with jealousy of Shug because she considers herself to be ugly. Both women stand as figures in their community by their looks, because they are seen as beautiful on the outside.

In the midst of all of these seemingly astounding similarities, there are a variety of differences as well. First off, in The Color Purple, Shug Avery’s personality is seen as “self-centered” and “superficial” to most, unlike the warmth and kindness evident to many in Hester Prynne’s that is shown through the affection and love she gives to her daughter. Also, a blatant difference is that Hester is white, while Shug is black. While their situations and experiences are similar, the obstacles the African-American people faced, versus those that white people faced is blaringly different, especially given the time each of their stories were set in.

In conclusion, Hester Prynne and Shug Avery, while both come from very different stories and times, their experiences and similarities in personality and appearance are obvious and inevitable to notice, despite their few, assorted differences.

Hester and Offred - Elzinga

In the books The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne the characters of Hester Prynne and Offred are both similar and different.  They are similar in that they both committed acts that were seen as breaking the laws in the societies in which they live and were spared from the worst punishment, those societies are very similar because they are based on religion, both characters are fairly strong minded, but they have been forced to conform by circumstances.  They are different in that Hester’s child is seen as a reminder of her sin while if Offred were to have another child then that child would serve to promote and protect her, whereas Pearl just serves to further Hester’s punishment.  Another difference is that Hester got to keep Pearl whereas Offred lost her own child, Hester had Pearl as company and didn’t have to suffer the loss of a child while Offred had her child torn away from her and given to another family, and Offred has to suffer through the constant pain of imagining her child being raised by someone else and possibly not even remembering her.

First, beginning with similarities, both Hester and Offred committed acts that broke the law of the societies in which they live, and both were spared from death.  Hester committed adultery which in the Puritanical society of Salem, Massachusetts in the mid-seventeenth century was a crime of the highest order that could have been punishable by death, but Hester was spared and given a somewhat lighter sentence.  Offred tried to run away in a society where that was also punishable by death, but rather she was also spared and instead given the job as a handmaid.  

Second, both of the societies in which the characters live have laws and governments that are based on religion.  In the Puritanical societies of the 1640’s the governments and laws of the colonies were mainly set up by the colonists, and in Salem’s case were based purely upon religion.  The Puritanical societies were very strict and were based upon a literal interpretation of the Bible.  In, Atwood’s tail, a fictional society is created where an extremist religious sect has taken over the entire country and forced everyone within it to conform to their ideals.  Both of these societies have very strict laws based upon religious interpretation that are impressed upon the people who live in the society.

Another similarity between the characters is the attitude which both of them have toward their situations.  Both characters are fairly strong-minded, but are slowly beaten down by their circumstances to conform to the ideals of their societies.  Hester in the beginning walks out of the jail with her head held high, her scarlet letter ornately embroidered, and Pearl held in her arms like a trophy.  She shows the people in the town that she doesn’t care what they think and carries herself with a quiet dignity which most people would not possess in the same situation.  Throughout the book, she begins to become more and more embarrassed by the stares and the gossip about her and slowly wears down to where the letter and Pearl become a bigger burden than they had been.  Offred goes through the same thing.  In her flashbacks she reveals that originally she was someone who was strong-minded and opinionated, who would fight for what she wanted.  Yet, as time wore on and she was captured and forced into her line of work, she is worn down through the torture of the girls who tried to escape, and through the oppressiveness of her situation until she conformed into the part she was supposed to play.

Now, onto the differences.  Both of the differences are related to a similar topic, children.  In Hester’s society the fact that she had Pearl out of wedlock causes the child to serve as a constant reminder of her sin and shame, whereas any child born into the society of Offred would be valued and cause Offred to secure a better position and not be sent away.  Pearl, for Hester, serves as a sort of constant torture, while Offred would actually be made more secure if she were to produce a child.  This causes the characters to have different mindsets about children.  Another difference is that Hester got to keep her daughter, whereas Offred had hers ripped away from her when she was captured.  This affects the characters’ attitudes.  Through all of Hester’s shame and punishment she had Pearl, who though a constant reminder of her shame, helped none of the less if only because it was another person to go through it all with.  On the other hand, Offred had to suffer through knowing that another family was raising her child, who may or may not remember her.  She had to live without knowing what happened to her daughter or her husband.  At the very least, Hester had closure in knowing what happened to either Pearl or Reverend Dimmesdale.  

In closing, the characters of Hester Prynne and Offred share many similarities in that they both live in societies based on religion in which they have committed acts which broke the law and were spared, they also were both once strong-minded, but were worn down by circumstances to conform.  The characters are also different in relation to the way their children are treated, Pearl is treated like Hester’s scarlet letter, while any child Offred would have would be raised by a family of good standing and would serve to promote her.  Hester is also different because she got to keep Pearl, whereas Offred had her daughter ripped away from her.    

Hamlet and Sydney Carton - Koski

Characters in literature are often challenged with multiple astounding tasks; thus in reality, authors are challenged to create characters who can further the storyline, who can form bonds with the audience, and who can engage in a plot that draws an emotional response. Just as every person is unique, every character is unique, and a vivid character will help create a distinctive plot. Playwright, William Shakespeare, and novelist, Charles Dickens, develop characters with noteworthy complexity that enhance the overall feel of their most famous pieces, Hamlet and A Tale of Two Cities. Despite the fact that the pieces were written more than 200 years apart, similarities can be drawn between the protagonists, Hamlet and Sydney Carton. 

First, both men undergo serious transitions. Hamlet, a philosophical college student at the time of his father’s death is driven mad by several “injustices” during this time period. Hamlet is overcome with grief, which is intensified by the fact that no one around him seemed to be grieving as much as he. He is outraged with both his mother’s decision to remarry his uncle a month after his father’s passing and by her lack of grief all together. His mother, Queen Gertrude even states “Thou know'st tis common, all that lives must die/Passing through nature to eternity” (I.ii.71-2). Hamlet further sees her actions as cruelty when he reminisces of how remarkably King Hamlet treated her. Hamlet states, “So excellent a king, that was to this/Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother,/That he might not beteem the winds of heaven/Visit her face too roughly; heaven and earth,/Must I remember?…” (I.ii.141-45). However, Hamlet is not the only character affected by the decisions of Gertrude and Claudius—Ophelia, Hamlet’s former beloved, suffers the consequences of Hamlet’s tainted thoughts toward women. Ophelia perishes under Hamlet’s cruel words and actions. Thus, another transition is evident in Hamlet, he is fueled by anger and thoughts of his mother’s betrayal, ultimately destroying his former love by using her as an outlet for his hostility. Then, when Hamlet returns from exile, the audience witnesses yet another transformation. Hamlet seems calm and collected. He believes fate controls our outcomes: “There's a divinity that shapes our ends,/Rough-hew them how we will” (V.ii.10-11). 
As for Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, the audience witnesses a man with little purpose in life. During a conversation with his co-worker, Stryver, this idea becomes even more evident. Stryver claims, “(Y)our way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose” (3). He seems to be only a lazy alcoholic, however, readers can sense from the beginning Carton feels something he cannot articulate. He makes the claim he cares for nothing and no one. Then, he reveals his true feelings of interest in Lucie Manette with his bitter comments. But, readers see Carton’s largest transition when he finally confesses his love for Lucie to her face. There is even evident foreshadowing when he makes the statement, “Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!” (4). Carton admits that his feelings for Lucie have influenced him to see a brighter future and a purpose for himself. Carton pictures “…lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance. In the fair city of this vision, there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him, gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening, waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight” (4). 

Secondly, both characters encompass an element of complexity that enhances the plot. Hamlet can be described as both compassionate and thoughtful. Shakespeare wanted to employ a character with the ability to think. A man prone to thinking is incapable of acting. For example, Hamlet is given the perfect opportunity to assassinate Claudius, however, he prolongs acting by justifying that Claudius would be sent to Heaven for praying during his death. Despite the fact that Hamlet is reflective and cynical, he can also be impulsive and rash. When he acts, it is without premeditation. Such as when he kills Polonius through the curtain without checking first to see who it was. When Hamlet speaks, the audience gets the feeling that there is something important he knows but he is not sharing. Lastly, he is discontent with the state of his family and the affairs in Denmark, but he is not concerned with the threat of invasion or the internal fallacies of the country. Although Carton’s complexity presents itself differently, its also there. From the beginning, readers can sense there is more to Carton than just a drunk who doesn’t care for anyone or anything. These suspicions are proven accurate when Carton makes the ultimate sacrifice for the woman he loves despite the fact that she’s married to Darnay. Carton’s death also makes him complex because he is willing to sacrifice his life to find meaning. While he’s headed toward the guillotine, he envisions a peaceful and successful Paris with a bright future. This vision influences readers to believe he died a martyr whose death enables the happiness of Lucie and ensures his own immortality. 

Lastly, less prominent comparisons can be made. Both men are willing to accept death at one point or another. During Hamlet’s period of melancholia, he states that “...To die; to sleep,/No more, and by a sleep to say we end/The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks/That flesh is heir to; 'tis a consummation/Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;” (III.i.60-4). Carton never took much interest in his life, but by the end of the novel he accepts death because it gives him purpose. Also, both men are willing to make sacrifices for those they love. Hamlet realizes the potential dangers of murdering Claudius but chooses to carry through with it anyway to avenge his father. Carton clearly makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep Lucie, his love, both alive and happy. Each character is also realistic and relatable due to their flaws. Hamlet is indecisive, hasty, hateful, brutal, and obsessed and Carton is a hard drinker, idle, and unpromising. However, their flaws give them the potential to make great impact and form connections with the audience. 


In summary, despite the different styles and time periods, Shakespeare and Dickens both possess the ability to create complex characters which enhance their prominent pieces of literature. Accordingly, their pieces remain entertaining and eminent in modern society. 

Hassan and Celie- Kransberger

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker are very different novels with very different story lines. However, the themes surrounding two of the leading characters in these stories are not too different. Both Hassan and Celie face discrimination from society because of categories in which they are placed by their anatomical makeup. Celie because she is a woman and Hassan because he is a Hazara. Both characters deal with sexual and physical abuse as a result of something of which they lack control over. A major difference, however is their attitude towards it. Both incredibly courageous, they have very different approaches to their injustice.

In “The Kite Runner” from the time Hassan is a little boy, things between him and Amir, who is not a Hazara, appear fairly similar on the surface. They get along like best friends who constantly play together and seek adventures in their Afghanistani hometown. When the sun goes down, however, Hassan and his father go to bed in a small hut located in the backyard of Amir’s father’s mansion. Hassan is denied the opportunity to receive an education and learn to read and write, while Amir aspires to be an author sharing his work with Hassan. As the boys grow, instead of fighting to change the system, Hassan remains humble and endures rude comments from other young racist boys. While Amir admits that he knows it is wrong he feels that he does treat Hassan differently when others are around because he is aware that in the eyes of society he is better. Regardless, Hassan is passive and genuine focusing on only the good moments of their friendship. Even after deliberate betrayal from Amir, Hassan continues to see the good in his situation. In a letter written to Amir years after Amir watched him get raped and then framed him for stealing because he couldn’t bear the sight of him in his father’s house anymore Hassan says “ And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.” (218)

Celie on the other hand, is nowhere near as accepting of her situation. Tossed around between abusive men one of them being her father (or so she believed), separated from her little sister whom she loves with her whole heart and robbed of the two children she birthed as a result of her rape, Celie confides in God through letters as a shoulder to cry on. She is not disobedient or rebellious and similar to Hassan is willing to put herself second even if it means she endures pain for the ones she loves. Unlike Hassan however, she is not so willing to roll with the punches. When she is shown inferior treatment, she questions the world around her and thanks to her lover, Shug, even become curious about her confidant, God, himself. “...have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God.” (165)

Both victims of oppressive situations based on social class systems in their societies, Hassan and Celie have much in common. The major difference in the end is how they chose to deal with it. Granted, Hassan was treated like family by a very slim number of the people in his life while Celie had her family yanked away from her. This definitely had something to do with the situation, Hassan decided to return to the city of his oppression while Celie eventually gained the courage to flee hers. Both choices were courageous but created very different outcomes. Celie eventually becomes reunited with Nettie in the house in which they grew up while Hassan loses his life to the Taliban. Maybe things could have been different had he put himself and his safety first like Celie but he has a huge heart and would probably allow the outcome to be the same “a thousand times over.”

Celie and Meursault--Beck

Character development is an essential component to every type of storytelling. Quality characters that are interesting, complex, and relatable propel a story’s plot and make audiences more apt to enjoy the overall piece. An example of this is Fitzgerald’s creation of Jay Gatsby. The mystery surrounding him along with the human emotion readers see within him are what makes The Great Gatsby a classic. Similarly, Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, and Albert Camus, author of The Stranger, are both celebrated for their creation of the characters Celie and Meursault respectively in their aforementioned books. Both unique to their stories, these characters are different in several regards such as the environment in which they live and the situations they encounter while being connected in other ways such as how they respond to the world around them.

The Color Purple and The Stranger are two very different books that deal with different issues and, as a result, have different themes. In accordance with this, Celie and Meursault contrast each other in several ways. First, the most blatant differences between the characters are physical and geographic. Celie is a young black woman who lives in rural Georgia in the early 20th century while Meursault is a male living in French North Africa in the similar time of the mid 20th century. As a result of these varied settings, Meursault  and Celie’s experiences are very different. Celie faces severe oppression, facing racism, sexism, and abuse. Meursault, however, does not have to deal with any form of discrimination for his physical appearance, sex, or race. While Meursault is looked down upon for his actions, the abuse Celie experiences is different as she had no control over it.

Aside from their physical differences, the two characters are different as a result of how their authors developed them throughout the book. A central theme of The Color Purple is the ability an individual has to change the circumstances they find themselves in. The color purple, a symbol of hope, along with Celie’s friend Shug Avery help change Celie from the woman that felt nothing and viewed her life as pointless. This transformation can be seen when Celie stands up to her husband saying, “You a low down dirty dog, that's what's wrong. Time for me to get away from you, and enter into Creation. And your dead body'd be just the welcome mat I need” (Walker 201). This change in hope and ability to restart your life is not developed by Camus in Meursault. Unlike Celie, Meursault does not hate his life but instead describes himself as content with his life and saying, “I wasn’t unhappy” (Camus 41). Meursault never makes the transition Celie makes into a new life. Even when put on Death Row, Meursault reflects that death is inevitable and that there is no difference between put to death tomorrow than dying of natural causes 30 years later. This resistance to change can be seen in his response to the minister's question, “Have you no hope at all? And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?” (Camus 117) with a simple “yes”  towards the end of the book.

Despite these differences, Celie and Meursault are alike in many ways. The largest similarity between these two is the seeming detachment from life they both experience. Even though Celie’s personality changed over the course of Walker’s book, the emotions and views on life she had for the majority of the book correlate with Meursault’s personality. An example of this detachment is their relationships with others. Celie writes, “Everybody say how good I is to Mr._________ children. I be good to them. But I don’t feel nothing for them. Patting Harpo back not even like patting a dog. It more like patting another piece of wood. Not a living tree, but a table, a chifferobe” (Walker 63). Likewise Meursault struggles with relationships largely due to his lack of interest. He attends his mother’s funeral where he doesn’t cry and the most grievous thing he says is that he would rather her not have died. Furthermore, Walker and Camus characterize them such that it appears as if life is just passing them by. In Celie’s case, the reader sees time elapse in her letters without any change in her attitude. The entire time she describes the lack of emotion she feels towards her husband and family members giving the reader an impression of her as a ghostly observer to a stranger’s life. Likewise, Meursault’s life is symbolized in his court case when he thinks, “In a way, they seemed to be arguing the case as if it had nothing to do with me. Everything was happening without my participation. My fate was being decided without anyone so much as asking my opinion” (Camus 98).

In addition to their detachment, these two characters are similar as a result of their believability. Despite the unusual situations these characters are in, it is very easy for the reader to imagine both Celie and Meursault as real people. The reason for this is the authors were very thorough in developing their characters. Both authors used the first person point of view with these characters being the protagonists. This made it so the reader could very easily understand the character’s thought process while also being able to clearly see and experience their emotions.

In conclusion, these characters, who are seemingly completely different, are perhaps more alike than they are not. While their physical characteristics and setting are not in common, their more important personalities are shockingly similar. As previously stated, Celie’s personality did eventually change, however, Celie’s detached personality, which was present for a majority of The Color Purple, corresponds very well to Meursault’s personality. Both Walker and Camus were successful in creating strong central characters that were interesting, believable, and easy for the reader to relate to. The Color Purple’s and The Stranger’s success are largely because of these strong protagonists.

Offred and Biff- Hegerfeld

People differ in millions of ways from the way they look to the way someone thinks. Although there are very many areas where people differ, there are also many opportunities to look at people and find similarities. For example, in The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, both have characters who may seem to be very different, but also have common characteristics. As well as being comparable to each other, they are also able to compare and contrastable to myself.

    Offred from The Handmaid’s Tale and Biff from Death of a Salesman do not seem to have any correlation at all until one dives into their internal struggles. To start, throughout A Handmaid’s Tale, Offred struggles with being looked down on and being controlled by higher powers. She and almost all of the women in the book are oppressed and constantly told what to do as well as disrespected. Then, when reading the play Death of a Salesman, The character Biff Loman is also not highly respected, but instead of by higher powers, it is mostly by his father. As both characters go through their struggles, people try to help them succeed. Both Biff and Offred cherish the ones that will stay by their side to help. Biff has his brother with him at his side for some of the play, as well as his mother who at the beginning of the play tries to defend him by saying things like “You shouldn't have criticized him Willy, especially since he just got off the train” and “He was crestfallen, Willy, you know he admires you” (Miller, 7). While Offred’s situation is not parallel to Biff’s, she finds and befriends people who try to help her such as Nick and Ofglen, who in the end are the ones the help her to her new life (mostly Nick).

    On the contrary, these characters also have their share of differences. To begin, the two are different genders which means they think differently. When contrasted, Biff wants to do his own things. Through the play he dreams about “the territory” which means the west, and longs to free roam and do what he loves out there, as well as find himself. Now, Offred in the end does the right thing and escapes the brutal reality of Gilead, but through many chapters of the book she just follows commands and almost gave up, giving in to the ways of the sexist city. She began to accept her defeat while Biff at least pursued and tried to do what he wanted to.

    The character that compares more with me is definitely Biff. Although his situation is different than mine and probably most peoples, at times, just like him, my dad thinks I am an under achiever and begins to get disappointed in me too. Also, unlike his family, Biff knows when he fails and acknowledges it, therefore learning from it and somewhat turning it into a positive event (in the end). This trait is similar to me as well, as much as I hate failing and losing, usually I am able to learn from my mistakes, and avoiding making similar ones in the future. When I put myself next to Offred on the other hand it is more of a contrasting view. Even though my dad may look down on me in certain situations I am by no means oppressed. Offred Went through most of her life following orders and not standing up for her rights, even when she had the opportunity to by joining the rebels with Ofglen and fight against the higher power, instead deciding to remain how she was. This is not similar to me, which is the biggest contrasting view. Throughout my life I have stood up for what I think is right and not giving in to people who do wrong things.

    In conclusion, people can be very similar to others, very different, or anywhere in between. Offred and Biff Loman both have similar problems and situations, but when it comes down to handling these situations the two characters have different mindsets. Also both characters may have some common characteristics when compared to me, Biff definitely compares better while Offred contrasts better.

Sydney Carton and Amir - Ozbun

Even though the two pieces were created nearly one hundred and fifty years apart, The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini and A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens show vasts amounts of similarities and differences between the two main characters. These characters being Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, and Amir in The Kite Runner. At some point in each of these characters lives they realize that they should have done something differently. One regrets it for life, and another decides to act upon it and make serious changes. Two completely different authors, yet these characters draw similarities and differences as their lives travel in two completely different directions.

To start there is one major similarity between these characters. In the beginning of the story, Sydney Carton does not appreciate his own life whatsoever. In actuality he greatly despises it and it is quite obvious right from the start. However there is a desperate attempt to change these thoughts on life throughout the rest of the book. SImilarly Amir makes a decision early in his life to get rid of his best friend Hassan and to frame him to earn another’s trust. Just as Sydney does, Amir seeks to overcome his challenges in life to seek a greater meaning of happiness but it does not come as easy as he would like. Both characters share a similar spiritual journey up until the end of each book. Sydney ends his journey by feeling forever at peace with himself and with the knowledge that he finally lived his life with meaning. In which he sacrificed his life to the guillotine through strong love, for not only the one he loved Lucie but also the rest of her family. Likewise, towards the conclusion of The Kite Runner, Amir finds peace in being beaten by an old enemy in his old home. The same enemy that raped Amir’s best friend Hassan. Which eventually led to Amir betraying Hassan and forcing him to leave early in his life despite all the great things they had been through.Not only did Amir find peace in being beaten by the his old foe, he found it to be redeeming for the anguish that he had once caused his old best friend. “My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed” (Hosseini, 289). This quote greatly signifies the importance of himself being beaten. Amir knew he had been greatly messed up, yet his mind told him it was right in the fact that he finally was healed after years of guilt for his decisions in the past.

Although there was one large similarity, there are many smaller differences as well between the two main characters of their respective books. The personalities of the two show their greatest differences. Sydney as stated previously is lacking motivation in his own life. He also shows little to no respect for anything he does, and has no sympathy towards others whatsoever. Despite being in a great field of work, he finds no interest with what he does and thinks drinking is the resolution or solvent to all of his struggles. In contrast, Amir is quite the opposite. He finds a greater meaning in life than Sydney does in the beginning. Amir is a more lovable character from the get go with the character traits he possesses. Although he betrays his best friend early in the book, Amir is very knowledgeable and intelligent. Not only that but he contains a sensitive side within himself as well which is obvious once his friend has left his life. Amir wants nothing more than to impress and please his father. This is the primary motivator to his life when the book begins. In contrast, Sydney lacks motivation to please anyone or to do anything with his life. "I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me" (Dickens, 81). The quote stated by Sydney in the previous sentence shows how little he cares for his own existence and the existence of others. Also it is a description of why he drinks excessively. This continues until he meets Lucie. When he meets her, his whole life begins to turn around in the blink of an eye and the thought of her motivates him to become a better person not only in her eyes but the people and society around him as well. Lastly, both characters are driven by the same resulting factor, to become better people in life.

In conclusion, the protagonists of The Kite Runner and A Tale of Two Cities come from two quite different parallels of life. Living two different lives but have similar ideals later in each of the books when it comes to striving to be a better person. In addition, both characters have plenty of differences including motives, personality traits, lifestyles, thoughts, and regrets. Although written years apart, it was quite simple to find the commonalities and deviation between the two. The intelligent writing of the authors Charles Dickens and Khaled Hosseini brought together unique characters impressively despite the immense difference in plots.

Sula and Meursault - Kennedy

Sula Peace in Sula, by Toni Morrison, is a girl who rejects the role she is meant to play in society. Meursault in The Stranger, by Albert Camus, is an ordinary man with a very different outlook on life then the rest of society. There are some obvious differences between the characters. Sula is a black girl living in a small black community in Ohio from 1920 to 1940. Meanwhile, Meursault is a white French man living in a city in French Algeria in the 1940s. Sula was written in 1973 while The Stranger was written in 1942. These two characters lived very different lives in very different places. The thing that makes them similar is the way that they both rejected society’s views and opinions on how they should act.

The biggest similarity between Sula and Meursault is that both are at odds with society. Meursault differs from everyone else in the way he views life. He is unemotional, amoral, and believes that life is meaningless. This causes him to act and think very differently from everyone around him and leads other people to view him as a monster. Sula refuses to conform to society’s role for her, and instead lives her life the way she wants. She does not pursue a relationship or marriage and has casual sex with lots of men. When Nel asks her why she had sex with Jude, Sula says, "Well, there was this space in front of me, behind me, in my head. Some space. And Jude filled it up. That's all. He just filled up the space” (Morrison 133). Sula sleeps with men not to get something from them, but to try and fill the emptiness inside of herself.

Another similarity between Sula and Meursault is that neither is concerned with the way they are seen by society. Meursault does not try to appear as though he is grieving the death of his mother during her funeral and does not lie about his reasons for killing the Arab, saying it was because of the sun. Sula rejects society’s role for her and is unconcerned with her image as a pariah. Neither pretends they are like everyone else, even when it would make it easier for them.

Both Sula and Meursault also have difficulty establishing emotional connections. Meursault did not establish an emotional connection with anyone and the only emotions he had throughout most of the book were a direct result of the physical things he was experiencing. “That evening, Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn't make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to” (Camus 40). Meursault’s relationship with Marie and friendship with Raymond are not born out of actual emotional connections, but because it is easier for him. Sula also had a difficulty making emotional connections. The only person she cares about for her entire life is her friend, Nel. Sula has sex with many men, but does not love or care about any of them.

The difference between Meursault and Sula is their motivation for being different then the society.  Meursault is different because of his philosophic views. He says “It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed” (Camus 23). Meursault does not grieve for his dead mother because he feels it does not matter. He thinks life is pointless and is completely focused on the physical aspects of life. This sets him apart from society, it was not a conscious decision for him. Alternatively, Sula chooses not to be like everyone else. She chooses not to accept the role of wife and mother because she wants to become herself and not somebody else’s opinion of what she should be. When her grandmother tells her she has hellfire inside her she replies, "Whatever's burning in me is mine!" (Morrison 89). Her only goal is to find herself.

Sula Peace from Sula and Meursault from The Stranger are similar in their rejection of society’s views and because it is difficult for them to establish emotional connections. However, their motivations for this rejection are very different. Because of this, the impact they have on both the reader and on the other characters in their book are also very different.

The Commander and Willy - Dell

            Husbands tend to get a bad rap these days. Stories of laziness, whining, domestic abuse, affairs, and downright hateful natures are far too common. Of course, we all know that this isn’t the case for every relationship and marriage isn’t really as awful as the old TV shows claim. However, husbands Willy Loman of Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Commander (or Fred) from Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale aren’t exactly the shining stars of husbandry.

            The first and most common trait that the two share is the acts of adultery that they commit. Of course, Willy only had an affair with one woman, and the Commander had illegal relationships with at least two of his handmaids. Yet one evil is not better than the other. Both rejected their promises to their wives and committed sin, and both are examples of poor commitment.

            Both men also represent an idea of a perfect life, or at least the wanting of one. William’s obsession with success and big business drives him practically insane. This shows what motivates Willy to push his sons, and what the effect of the broken American Dream can have. For example, Willy’s brother Ben has had the utmost amazing success and Willy wants the same for himself and his sons, as seen here:

“BEN: William, you’re being first-rate with your boys. Outstanding, manly chaps!

WILLY (hanging on to his words): Oh, Ben, that’s good to hear! Because sometimes I’m afraid that I’m not teaching them the right kind of — Ben, how should I teach them?

BEN (giving great weight to each word, and with a certain vicious audacity): William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich! (He goes off into darkness around the right corner of the house.)

WILLY: ...was rich! That’s just the spirit I want to imbue them with! To walk into a jungle! I was right! I was right! I was right!” (Miller 36)

This quote suggests that Willy is a firm believer in what he does, however, the Commander seems to be less passionate about his cause. It appears he is only a well-off captain to reap all the rewards, as well as the illegal ones. His dream of excitement also drives him into danger, with his taking of Offred to a brothel and offering her small gifts. He gives to Offred to make himself feel like a good person, or at least better than most other people. He believes he is above the system, just as Willy believes he has beat it, or will eventually.

Both men also fail to realize the corruptness of their lives. Willy is stuck in his psychotic daydream of life, and The Commander believes that everything is right in Gilead, when himself and many other leaders defy the laws of the Republic and commit heinous acts. Not to mention the downright ugliness that is Gilead itself; a world of control and obsession with perfection. Everyone commits to the idea, but no one commits to the act.

Willy can be seen still denying his plainness on page 98 as his son is screaming at him:

BIFF: I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! I’m one dollar an hour, Willy I tried seven states and couldn’t raise it. A buck an hour! Do you gather my meaning? I’m not bringing home any prizes any more, and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!

            Willy reacts angrily and calls his son a spiteful mutt before driving off into his demise.

            It’s clear that both men have a strange obsession with excitement or wealth, and both have admitted to committing adultery against their wives. It is hard to relate these characters to myself, since I am not a married man. However, I have experienced impossible dreams and wants. These characters seem so ridiculously unreal, it seems crazy for an actual person to treat another like a simple vessel or animal to be treated, or to teach their sons that all that matters is likeability. Yet despite their strange characteristics and personalities, the Commander and Willy Loman both are examples of poor husbands and unrealistic ideals.

Hassan and Moira- Wescott

Even within two completely different settings, characters can experience similar struggles eternally or internally.  Although Moira from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Hassan from Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner come from completely different locations and time periods, they manage to experience similar struggles along their journey.

To begin, both Moira and Hassan are best friends to the main characters of their stories, Offred and Amir respectively.  They also both share traits that both of their friends desire.  Hassan has a brave nature and Baba’s attention which Amir in envious of while Moira has courage (to escape the red center) and independence which Offred longs to have.  This is explained when Amir says "I'd change my mind and ask for a bigger and fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me - but then he'd buy it for Hassan too. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't do that. I wish he'd let me be the favorite," (Hosseini, 45) highlighting Amir’s jealousy towards Hassan.  Offred has a similar feeling when she expresses “Moira was our fantasy,” (Atwood, 133) when discussing her escape.  Furthermore, both Hassan and Moira live in a society that oppresses their freedom.  Hassan, being a servant and Hazara, is considered inferior compared to other muslims and is condemned to live in a shack outside of his master’s mansion because the strict nature of Afghan society.  This causes him to be on the receiving end of ridicule constantly without any way of defending himself.  Moira is also forced to live in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian government that greatly limits freedom in hope of providing a safer life.  Instead of being a minority with limited rights, Moira along with other women are are all limited to a prison life environment to learn to new ways of the society.  Her old life was stripped completely and many of her past freedoms have been abolished completely.  

Although both Moira and Hassan have many similarities, they are far from being the same.  For starters, they are different genders.  This may seem insignificant, but coming from Gilead where men and women have vastly different roles and Afghanistan where gender plays a significant portion in the rights an individual has, their characteristics would be affected if their genders were the same.  Moreover, Hassan decides to accept his fate in society while Moira chooses to rebel.  In chapter 16, when Rahim Khan is telling Amir Hassan’s fate, he describes how he stayed in Afghanistan struggling to get by and ultimately being killed by the Taliban.  Hassan accepted his position as a Hazara living in poverty and is ultimately killed because of it.  Moira on the other hand decides to fight against her place in society.  While Offred is describing Moira’s escape of the Red Center, she says “Moira had power now, she’d been set loose, she’d set herself loose.” (Atwood, 133)  Moira chose her fate instead of letting her society decide if for her, a major difference between the two.  Basically, Moira’s motivation is to overcome societal binds while Hassan is motivated to survive in his hostile environment.  Finally, both characters have very different personalities.  Hassan is described as shy and introverted, yet kind to those he loves.  Moira on the other hand is outgoing and extroverted, being upfront and at times sarcastic.  

Personally, Hassan is much more believable compared to Moira for me.  I actually got halfway through The Kite Runner with the assumption that the story was true, only to find out by looking it up it was all fiction, which really surprised me.  Since Hassan lives in Afghanistan, which is an actual setting, I was able to relate Hassan’s struggles to some of the news regarding the war on Afghanistan.  Moira on the other hand comes from a post apocalyptic world that seemed unlikely to occur it was difficult to connect to any of the character’s struggles.  Because Hassan was so much more believable, he relates to me on a greater scale than Moira.  Gender and age probably play a major role since Hassan is very close to my age for the majority of the book.  Moira is in an opposite demographic being a gay middle aged woman.  Furthermore, Hassan was a very unfortunate and unlucky character, having unspeakable actions done to him.  I was constantly sympathizing with him, hoping he would turn out ok in the end.  The same cannot be said for Moira.  She was extremely fortunate to escape a heavily guarded facility with very little struggles.  I was virtually unable to relate Moira to myself because of her unrealistic achievements in the end.

In conclusion, two characters from extremely different settings can experience similar struggles.  Although they were very different characters, Hassan and Moira had certain parallel characteristics that define them.  Much can be learned from both of these unforgettable characters from classic books.

Pearl and Sula - Smith

What is it that makes people different. Is it their beginning and how they are raised? Is it the time period they lived in? Or is it much more complicated than just a couple factors that  determine how a someone “turns out” . This is exactly what comes to mind when you think about Pearl and Sula. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl grew up in the 17th century in the Massachusetts colony while Sula was born in the early 1900’s in a small town in Ohio. In Sula by Toni Morrison, the community is essentially all black characters, while in The Scarlet Letter the population is almost all white. These are two very different cultures and ways of life, and yet despite the differences there are still ample similarities.

Both girls, Pearl and Sula, are born to a mother that is not well liked and is considered to be shameful. Pearl is a product of adultery, whose mother is forced to wear a letter A (for adulteress) as a way to shame her. Sula’s whole family is a little bit of a disgrace and shameful. Her Grandma returned to the bottom with a large sum of money that people believed she acquired from cutting her leg off and collecting the insurance money. Her Uncle left for the  war and when he returned and lost his mind and did drugs until he was killed by his mother, Sula’s grandmother. Lastly, Sula’s mother also committed adultery, only she would sleep with many men. Both girls growing up were a little different than everyone else and were seen a little bit as outcasts. Sula found comfort in her best friend Nel, but other than that she didn’t really have any friends. Pearl, on the other hand, had even less she didn’t really have anyone other than her mother, and several townspeople said that as she grew up she was the child of “the black man” (a.k.a. The devil). One last similarity is they were both attractive/ beautiful children. Sula and Nel often would attract attention from the men who sat on their front stoops/ stairs alongside the road. Pearl was described as “So magnificent was the small figure, when thus arrayed, and such was the splendor of Pearl’s own proper beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes” (Hawthorne 93). Not only was she beautiful to the eyes, but she also had extravagant and beautiful clothes her mother made for her. Pearl’s clothes were the one thing that her mother took pride in, due to their fine stitching, and fabrics. Giving these similarities wouldn’t one think that both Pearl and Sula would follow similar patterns in life as well as have similar personalities given their early childhood life experiences.

We know that both Hawthorne and Morrison set both characters up in a similar fashion, but the two girls developed very differently throughout their respective stories. Firstly, they had very different personalities. Pearl, for example, is described as being wise beyond her years, having strong emotions, and being able to read people and understand how what people are really thinking. This comes from having to look out  on everything, she understands that she is considered different than the others. This then makes her adapt and become more mature to understand what is really happening in the case where she know's that Dimmesdale really is her father long before the rest of the community knew. Having strong emotions is what keeps her somewhat a child as she will laugh wildly and then become quiet and somber moments later. This is consistent with more kids rather than adults who don't have great big mood fluctuations. Sula, on the other hand, was very mischievous, troublesome, unpredictable and later in life passionate. Sula and Nel always seemed to be up to something with her being the leader of the two the most prominent example came with chicken little “Sula picked him up by his hands and swung him outward then around and around ... When he slipped from her hands and sailed away out over the water they could still hear his bubbly laughter” (Morrison 60-61). Not only did Sula kill him, just before that she convinced him to climb a very tall dangerous tree. After she killed Chicken Little she then ran to Shadrack’s cabin to see if he saw anything, and broke in. As the girls grew up their different personalities lead to very different outcomes Pearl eventually recognized Dimmesdale as her father, which symbolically “made her human”. In doing so she was able to give Dimmesdale what he really wanted in life before he died. Sula responded to Nel’s marriage by running off to different cities and never wrote back to Nel or her family. One major difference between Hawthorne and Morrison is the period of life they focused on. Hawthorne tells readers how Pearl finished out in the end with little description, while Morrison has Sula return. In the end, it was Pearl who ended up living a normal life, Hawthorne tells us that she moved to Europe and married a rich man. Upon Sula’s return she was worse than ever before. She moved her grandma into a home out of spite, freely slept with any man she wanted, and was bitter. The Community even rallied together against her because they all collectively hated her. Sula eventually died alone and disliked by many.

Sula and Pearl were both given pretty similar back stories, coming from shameful families with shameful mothers. There was not really a father for both girls, and they had very little comfort in friends. Slight differences, however, lead to very different personalities. These differences most likely were caused due to the very different cultures and locations of the stories. Pearl was very mature at a young age, and eventually lead her to a normal life, in a far away land away from her mother's shame. Sula was very immature for her whole life and lead her to always be an outcast and even being hated by the community in which she grew up.The small differences between Morrison and Hawthorne lead to massive differences in the end of the two girls lives.