Tragedy is a main component of both short stories. The element of tragedy caused both main characters to react in differing ways. Both short stories involve death of a beloved family member, albeit, in differing manners. The coping mechanism used by the characters also differed. In "A Rose for Emily," Emily coped with the death of father by simply failing to acknowledge it ever happened. In "Killings," Matt Flower engages in murder to better cope with the death of his son (Morton. 2005).

Loneliness and isolation are two very common themes throughout the short stories. In regards to, "A Rose for Emily," the death of her father and subsequent husband caused her to be lonely. She reacted by isolating herself from the general public. She isolated herself even after numerous attempts from both her family and community to console her. This loneliness even caused her to lay with her dead...
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