“The half brothers” and “One Wednesday Afternoon” Essay Example

managing alone.

Throughout their lives, the two brothers experienced contrasting treatment. William's son received excessive indulgence and affection, while Gregory, in contrast, was disregarded and lacked respect. The siblings displayed contrasting characteristics as well, with Gregory being clumsy and shy, whereas his brother was confident and content.

Only Adam, the Shepherd treated Gregory with love and respect. One winter day, Gregory's siblings were given a task to go across the hills. On their way back, they were instructed to take the road, but Gregory defied and got lost as night descended on the hillside. Gregory embarked on a journey with his dog to locate his half-brother and eventually succeeded in finding him.

After sending the dog for help, the two brothers endured a freezing night outside. Gregory, suffering from prolonged exposure, was extremely cold. In the morning, they were discovered but sadly, Gregory had succumbed to hypothermia and passed away. William deeply regretted his mistreatment of Gregory and sought to make amends by burying him next to their mother. Eventually, when William himself passed away, he was laid to rest beneath their feet.

"One Wednesday Afternoon" is a story centered around the dynamics of a married couple and the husband's mother. Sylvia, the wife, challenges societal expectations by choosing to work in a factory instead of being a traditional stay-at-home mother. This decision grants her independence and the ability to indulge in personal luxuries like clothing, makeup, and hairstyling.

Despite not considering Sylvia a suitable spouse, her mother-in-law harbored strong resentment towards her. Jack, Sylvia's husband, is introverted and has difficulty expressing his true feelings despite loving his wife deeply. While working at the factory one day, Sylvia's hair gets

caught in a machine, causing a severe scalp injury that requires hospitalization. When Jack hears about this, he goes to visit her in the hospital with his mother by his side.

Despite lacking sympathy for Sylvia and believing that she deserves it, she considers the accident as a judgment on her. Initially worried about Sylvia's well-being, Jack becomes slightly relieved upon discovering that she is alright. This incident prompts Jack to recognize Sylvia's significance in his life and convinces him that changes are necessary. However, when he explains this to his mother, she misunderstands and assumes he intends to leave Sylvia. In reality, he plans to dedicate more time to Sylvia, express his true emotions, and offer increased support in the future.

"The Half Brothers" features two marriages. The initial one is a genuine union between Helen and her spouse, tying the knot at the ages of 17 and 21 respectively, "she was scarcely seventeen when she was married to him: and he was barely twenty-one". After her loving husband's demise, Helen found herself with Gregory and, with his well-being in mind, agreed to marry William Prescot. This second marriage was not driven by love, but rather by practicality and the desire to provide Gregory with a prosperous future.

At last, William Preston and Helen were married, and she became the mistress of a well-stocked house. Prescot had promised to support Gregory, which was all Helen desired. Helen never loved William. In "One Wednesday Afternoon," Jack and Sylvia Lister also get married, but theirs is a marriage based on love. However, Jack, who is a shy character, does not always express his love for Sylvia.

At the conclusion of

the narrative, Jack undergoes a significant shift in his emotions towards Sylvia. The accident he experiences serves as a catalyst for him to comprehend the depth of his feelings for her, prompting him to declare, "No, Now's my chance to show her." Contrasting their respective work environments, the two stories exhibit stark disparities. In "The Half Brothers," the setting takes place in Cumberland, hence naturally evoking associations with countryside and agricultural labor. Specifically, William possesses a farm while Gregory aids the aged shepherd who tends to it. In stark contrast, "One Wednesday Afternoon" offers an entirely distinct working environment.

The Listers reside in a city known for its industries, where they both hold occupations in factories. Although the locations of their workplaces vary, the underlying cause of the primary event or fatality in both tales is connected to their work environments. In "The Half Brothers," Gregory meets his demise while searching for his brother in rural surroundings, while Sylvia endures a horrific incident at the factory where her hair becomes entangled in a machine, resulting in her scalp being torn off. Within these two narratives, numerous family dynamics are depicted, with jealousy being a common element.

"The Half Brothers" tells the story of a deeply jealous William who envies his brother Gregory for receiving an abundance of love from their mother, Helen. William perceives Gregory as a constant reminder of Helen's previous marriage, which intensifies his envy. Furthermore, since Helen devotes so much affection towards Gregory, William feels neglected and unloved. Another source of jealousy arises when Helen chooses to marry William instead of Fanny, causing Fanny to be greatly shocked by this decision. The bond between

Gregory and his half-brother is strained and not harmonious in "The Half Brothers".

Gregory has limited involvement in family activities and lacks the chance to develop a bond with his brother. Consequently, Gregory's intense hatred for William greatly strains their relationship.

In "One Wednesday Afternoon," Sylvia faces a similarly strained relationship with her mother-in-law. Jack's mother strongly disapproved of their marriage and holds negative opinions about Sylvia. She perceives Sylvia as an inadequate wife for Jack and also feels jealous that Sylvia took her son away.

The author believes that Sylvia should prioritize staying at home and caring for the baby instead of pursuing a job. Since Sylvia and Jack's mother coexist in the same household, Jack will feel burdened due to the conflicting expectations of both women. Jack's mother perceives Sylvia as vain and materialistic, focused solely on her appearance, stating, "She wanted too much brass for lipstick a 'donnin' up in fancy clothes." Both stories address health-related topics, with "The Half Brothers" featuring numerous illnesses.

The first death that affects Helen is that of her first husband, who succumbs to tuberculosis. According to Helen, "He fell into ill-health, and died of consumption." Following this tragedy, Helen experiences the loss of her daughter, who passes away just two weeks before Gregory is born. Helen explains, "The little girl took ill of Scarlet fever, and in a week she lay dead." Sadly, the next death in the narrative is that of Helen herself. After experiencing premature labor, she dies a few days after giving birth to her new son due to complications. Helen's father spares no expense in trying to save her, as he even brings Carlisle for doctors

and would go to any lengths to save her if possible: "My father sent for Carlisle for doctors and would have coined his heart's blood into gold to save her if that could have been, but it could not." Lastly, Gregory's sacrifice forms the final death in the story, as he gives up his own life to save his half-brother. Stranded in the cold for an extended period, Gregory selflessly offers his cloak to his brother and subsequently succumbs to hypothermia.

William experiences a profound transformation following Gregory's death. He becomes aware of his own cruelty towards Gregory and acknowledges the kindness in Gregory's willingness to sacrifice himself for someone else. William humbly asks for forgiveness, stating "I ask him to forgive my hardness of heart". In the story "One Wednesday Afternoon", Sylvia is the center of attention due to a health issue. While she is working, her long hair gets caught in one of the machines and her scalp is torn off. The severity of the accident is described as "It was a nasty accident. I'm afraid a good deal of her scalp has gone". Although this accident takes precedence in the story, other deaths and illnesses in "The Half Brothers" play minor roles. Jack realizes his deep love for Sylvia after witnessing this accident, but it takes almost losing her for him to comprehend his true feelings.

Jack's mother is happy about Sylvia's accident because she thinks it serves her right for not being good at homemaking. She sees it as a punishment for Sylvia and believes that it is a form of judgment against her. Both stories also explore the theme of education, although

they do so in different ways. In "The Half Brothers," William Prescot does not refuse to educate Gregory, but rather removes him from lessons because he is not intelligent enough. The schoolmaster becomes tired of scolding and punishing Gregory and suggests to his father that he should leave school. As a result, Gregory goes to work on a farm where he learns about the countryside and how to take care of sheep.

Adam was the only one who admired Gregory and refused to criticize him. According to Adam, whenever my father tried to make him acknowledge Gregory's faults and weaknesses, Adam would instead give even more praise to Gregory as soon as he found out about my father's intentions. While Gregory received a basic education in farming, his brother had a proper school education and showed great intelligence. Gregory says, "I think I was a clever boy; at least, I always received plenty of praise and was considered the top student in school. The teacher said that I could excel in any subject I chose." When Gregory's brother gets lost, Gregory's knowledge of the countryside helps rescue him. However, because he is kind-hearted, Gregory sacrifices his own life to save his brother. In the story "One Wednesday Afternoon," it can be inferred that Jack has had a below-average educational background.

The assumption can be made that the man's work in the factory suggests he is not highly educated and thus, capable of doing only a mediocre job. This inference is further supported by his demeanor when visiting his wife in the hospital. His discomfort around the intelligent young doctor is evident in his response when asked if

he is the woman's husband: "Are you her husband? The man nodded dumbly." The man's intimidated nature is so pronounced that he can barely make eye contact with the doctor, as indicated by the line "The man brought his eyes up from the floor."

Sylvia's occupation in a factory suggests that she must have received some form of education, albeit possibly not a significant one. The language used in each story reflects the time period and setting it was written in. "The Half Brothers" contains numerous Victorian-style words and phrases such as "Died of consumption," "Came to bear her company," and "I don't think I ever scouted him." This Victorian influence contributes to a formal and proper style of language, which sometimes makes understanding the story challenging. Conversely, "One Wednesday Afternoon" utilizes a distinctive language that includes terms like "Bairn" and "Donnin' up," revealing its northern English backdrop.

The use of slang words in this story creates an informal language. There is a significant variation in sentence and paragraph length throughout the story, and the vocabulary is simple and easy to comprehend.