In both Alice Walker's story "The Flowers" and William Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily," the story's ending exemplifies the type of change that takes place in the main character. Myop, the protagonist of "The Flowers," undergoes a maturing, learning experience, while Emily, the protagonist of "A Rose for Emily," undergoes a physical change, solely passive. Moreover, each of these characters differs in their approach to the change that happens to them. It is the ending in the stories that clearly finalizes the changes that takes place in each protagonist.
The wording of the ending suggests the way in which the characters faced the change. In "The Flowers," "Myop laid down her flowers." She takes an active role to place her childhood away. It is based solely on her free will; she chooses to mature. On the other hand, Emily is found dead with "A long strand of iron-gray hair." Gray hair is a symbol of old age, something that occurs to a person, against their will. Emily's age change takes place because it is forced upon her. The author describes Emily throughout the story noting her age, "She was over thirty then, still a slight woman, though thinner than usual." However, later the townspeople notice a difference in her:.
"When we next saw Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray. During the next few years it grew grayer and grayer until it attained an even pepper-and-salt iron-gray, when it ceased turning. Up to the day of her death at seventy-four it was still that iron gray, like the hair of an active man.".
These two characters are similar in that they both undergo change, but are different in the way they go through with it.