Reasons for some of the differences between the stories may be because they were written and set in very different periods. For example ‘The Half Brothers’ was set in Victorian times when it was also written but ‘My Oedipus Complex’ was set just after the First World War but written much later then that. This makes the authors present the themes in very different ways. Frank O’Connor is more light-hearted in his presentation of jealousy whereas Elizabeth Gaskell is definitely more morbid and pessimistic in her betrayal of this sin.
The narrators of the two stories play a very important role in how the reader responds to the story. For example the reader can only see the events of the story through the eyes of the narrator. In ‘The Half Brothers’ the narrator is an adult or young man who is mature enough to understand most of life’s situations. However, in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ the narrator is a five year old boy who thinks he knows a lot but clearly does not. This gives the reader very different perspectives on the situations.
In ‘My Oedipus Complex’ you learn a lot about the narrator whereas in ‘The Half Brothers’ you don’t even know the narrator’s name. For example in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ you really get inside Larry’s mind with phrases such as “I couldn’t help feeling that if this was how God answered my prayers, he couldn’t listen to them very attentively.” Phrases like this show the character of the narrator and he and therefore the story becomes a lot less mysterious. In fact ‘The Half Brothers’ is more mysterious then ‘My Oedipus Complex’. This contradicts the reader’s impressions from the titles.
The stories are both based around relationships making the characters the most important part of the stories and you can see this from the titles. For example ‘My Oedipus Complex’ and ‘The Half Brothers’ both suggest family relationships. The relationships in the stories create the themes and events that occur. The narrator is therefore the most important character in both stories because they are directly affected by the events that happen throughout the story.
In ‘My Oedipus Complex’ there are three main relationships, Larry and his father, Larry and his mother and Larry’s mother and father and the reader can see jealousy in all three of them. For example, “Either Father or I would have to leave the house. I didn’t want to drink from Mother’s saucer; I wanted to be treated as an equal in my own home.” And “I think it must have been then that I realised he was jealous too. And there stood mother in her nightdress, looking as if her heart was broken between us. I hoped she felt as she looked. It seemed to me that she deserved everything it all.” In the first quote the use of ‘either or ’ shows that Larry is determined. Also in the first quote ‘I didn’t want to drink from Mother’s saucer’ although it is meant literally it can also be seen as a metaphor, which shows that the speech has been prepared and that therefore Larry’s feelings of jealousy run deep. In the second quote Larry’s feelings are against his mother, he sounds spiteful towards her when he realises that she has caused his deep feelings of jealousy.
In ‘The Half Brothers’ there are also elements of jealousy in the family relationships. For example William Preston is jealous of Gregory, “he took a positive dislike to Gregory – he was so jealous of the ready love that always gushed out like a spring of fresh water when he came near.” This quotation shows the complexity of the character relationships in the story very well by using a simile. In this way the story mirrors real life therefore making it easier for the reader to relate to.
The plots of the two stories have both similarities and differences. For example a similarity would be the beginning of the stories because both the narrators have a parent missing, although under different circumstances, however they end differently. The differences in the stories make it more interesting for the reader to compare them. They would obviously have some differences as they were written in different periods by different authors and set in different times.
The settings are both similar and different. For example ‘The Half Brothers’ is set in Cumberland in Victorian times and ‘My Oedipus Complex’ is set in Ireland just after the First World War. These settings appear to be very different but are set in the countryside, which gives them a similar rustic charm. Both stories have similar elements in their settings. Time is the major difference to the changed setting not location.
The settings of the stories make the reader respond in different ways. For example a lot of readers feel more comfortable reading stories set in recent times because they can relate to them. This is because of more modern language and issues. For this reason many readers may prefer ‘My Oedipus Complex’ to ‘The Half Brothers’ as it is set more recently.
A big difference between the two stories is humour. For example there is no humour at all in ‘The Half Brothers’ whereas a lot of humour is used in ‘My Oedipus Complex’. ‘The Half Brothers’ is very different because the absence of humour defines the story as a real tragedy. Humour in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ lightens the story considerably and it becomes merely unfortunate.
The source of humour in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ is from Larry saying or thinking things that are ironic because he thinks he’s so mature but is really an inexperienced child. For example “Ours was the only house in the terrace without a new baby, and Mother said we couldn’t afford one till Father came back from the war because they cost seventeen and six. That showed how simple she was. The Geneys up the road had a baby, and everyone knew they couldn’t afford seventeen and six. It was probably a cheap baby, and Mother wanted something really good, but I felt she was too exclusive. The Geneys baby would have done us fine.” This humour is mocking to the narrator. This quotation shows that he really has no idea on the science of life but he talks as if he knows everything. This is highly amusing to the reader.
A similarity between the two stories is that in both, people learn something. For example in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ Larry and his father both learn that they shouldn’t fight each other, they learn to forgive each other and in ‘The Half Brothers’ William Preston learns that he should have treated Gregory more fairly the narrator also learns from his fathers mistakes. This shows that the moral of both stories is forgiveness. These stories can help readers because they can identify with the experiences of the narrators.
The stories have different styles, however both use a lot of descriptive language. For example similes are used in both stories, “it was like going for a walk with a mountain” in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ and “that always gushed out like a spring of fresh water” in ‘The Half Brothers’. The use of similes makes the language richer and more enjoyable to read. It also gives the reader a better image in their mind of the thing the author is trying to describe.
Both authors also use adjectives but Elizabeth Gaskell uses them especially well by repeating them. For example “thicker thicker – faster faster”. This repetition gives the words a more urgent and panicked feel. It is very effective in drawing the reader into the story.
Metaphors are used to great effect in ‘My Oedipus Complex’. For example “There was a bit of the magpie about Father” and “Father in his usual Santa Claus manner”. This use of descriptive language, like the similes helps the reader get a better mental image of, in this case Larry’s father. The use of lots of descriptive language in both stories helps the reader feel part of the story.
A big difference in the language used is that Elizabeth Gaskell uses archaic language whereas Frank O’Connor uses language that is much more modern. For example words such as ‘bade’ and ‘whom’ are used in ‘The Half Brothers’. This archaic language sets the scene of the Victorian age, it is more typically 19th Century. It also makes the passage seem more descriptive because of the wider variety of vocabulary.
Elizabeth Gaskell overcomes the formality created by the use of archaic language slightly by using regional dialect. For example ‘wee lassie’. This regional dialect gives the story an identity and makes it sound more homely. It also makes the story seem more realistic as it is set in Yorkshire and requires the suitable language for it.
Frank O’Connor uses much more modern language, however there is still the occasional word that is slightly old fashioned. For example ‘mere’ and ‘fellows’. These words are relevant because they remind us that the story is not set in completely modern times, it was still a fairly long time ago.
The language in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ seems less formal because it is more modern, however the formality of Larry’s thoughts are a source of humour to the reader. For example “Life without my early-morning conferences was unthinkable”. This formality is humorous because Larry is only five years old and words such as ‘conference’ and ‘unthinkable’ would not be in his vocabulary. Also the formality of Larry’s thoughts contrast strongly with the formality of the story in general putting more emphasis on this humour.
The endings of the stories are very different because one is a tragedy and one has a happy ending. For example in ‘The Half Brothers’ William asks God for forgiveness because he feels so guilty about bullying Gregory when he turned out to be a hero in the end. Whereas in ‘My Oedipus Complex’ Larry and his father forgive each other and Larry’s father “goes out of his way to buy Larry a really nice model railway”. This contrast in the ends of the stories shows that a situation can go either way depending on the characters involved. The endings are the most obvious difference in the stories because they define the whole story as either a tragedy or a comedy.
The endings make the reader react in different ways. For example the ending of ‘The Half Brothers’ makes the reader think, because of it’s regretful conclusion whereas the ending of ‘My Oedipus Complex’ doesn’t give the reader a lot to ponder on as it is a simple happy ending. This makes the stories suitable for different types of reader. If they want a light-hearted book ‘My Oedipus Complex’ is more suitable but if they want a book that teaches them a lesson then they should choose ‘The Half Brothers’.
Overall I preferred ‘My Oedipus Complex’ to ‘The Half Brothers’. This is because it is set more recently and the language is easier to understand, I found it easier to relate to. Also it was humorous. ‘The Half Brothers’ also had good points such as it made me think and gave me a greater understanding of Victorian language. ‘The Half Brothers’ is a more educational story whereas ‘My Oedipus Complex’ is light reading.
By Sarah Du Casse
