Comparison and Contrast of Brother Dear and The Charmer

  The story Brother Dear and the story The Charmer are similar in some ways.  First of all these two stories are both about the changes in an older brother and younger sister relationship.  For example, in Brother Dear, sister Sharlene changed from don’t understand her brother Greg to support him. Similarly, in The Charmer, sister Winnifred took a long time to change her attitude toward her brother Zach and see the truth of him.  Second of all, both of these two stories are narrating in sister’s point of views.  For example, the reader can feel Sharlene’s confusion about whether to follow her heart or follow her father’s instruction in Brother Dear; the readers can also feel Winnifred’s complicated feeling with her brother Zach in The Charmer.  Furthermore, the roles of the parents are both very important in both of the stories.  For instance, the relationship between Greg and his father is well represented in their dialogues in Brother Dear.  Likewise, the relationship between Zach and his father’s relationship is presented through the father’s acts in The Charmer.  Overall, both Brother Dear and The Charmer are about the relationship inside a family with different children.

  Although Brother Dear and The Charmer are similar in some ways, these two stories still have some differences.  First of all, the theme of these two stories are different.  Brother Dear reveal that sometimes children should decide their future rather than the parents.  Instead, the theme of The Charmer is about sometimes children could go on the wrong path if the parents are too forgiving.  Secondly, the tones of these two stories are different.  The tone of Brother Dear is perplexed but hopeful.  The protagonist Sharlene is still looking forward to her future.  However, the tone of The Charmer is mournful, and Winnifred is learning from the past.  Finally, although these two stories are both from the sisters’ point of view, the perspective are different.  Brother Dear is written in a teenage girl’s perspective.  Narrator Sharlene was in Grad 11 in the story.  On the contrary, the perspective of The Charmer is from an adult woman.  Winnifred was 33 years old in the story and was recalling her memories with Zach, her brother.  In a conclusion, Brother Dear and The Charmer are different in themes, tones and perspectives.