Comparing Short Stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparing Short Stories - Essay Example Through the use of plot, tone, and irony, the authors were able to convey that during the realism era of France people were separated by the concepts of wealth and destitution, eventually succumbing to the fact that money never equated to happiness. Though the plots of both stories do differ from each other in the events that lead to their conclusions, they still share the same general idea: each male protagonist starts off with a comfortable life, perhaps not entirely rich, but with money enough to make them pleased with their lives. Due to circumstances, they each find themselves in a position that compromises this wealth and comfort. This is where the similarity ends. Monsieur Lantin sells off his late wife’s jewelry, making him incredibly rich. He dwells in this feeling, though eventually marries another woman who is angry and appalling. Rich he may be, but Lantin had lost his comfort of life. The banker, convinced that the young man would not see out his part of the bet, lives happily, spending money and losing it frivolously. When it becomes apparent that the banker will have to pay the young man, he realizes that he no longer has the money, and the only solution he can come upon is to kill the young man before the time is up. When he goes to perform this horrific deed, he comes upon a note from the young man stating that he despises what money does to people and says that he will not follow though with his part of the debt. The banker is relieved, though upset that he would even consider committing such a crime for money. These plot ideas show that, despite what these men were able to do with their money, they still ended up being morose. The tone of â€Å"The Jewels of M. Lantin†, at the beginning of the story, was cheerful and exuberant, as Monsieur Lantin proposed and lived happily married to one of the prettier girls of the the town. As the story went on, the tone changed to exasperation, then despair as his wife