As Eudora Welty summarizes in her essay, "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky"ÃÂÃÂ by Stephen Crane tells a story of situation whereas Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill"ÃÂÃÂ tells the story of a lady whose self-esteem is hurt by the remark she overhears. Even though Crane's story encompasses more events than Mansfield's story does, the reader sees how "Miss Brill"ÃÂÃÂ with its much simpler narrative can be more revealing about its theme and the change in its protagonist than "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky."ÃÂÃÂ Crane's story is based on the confrontation between the town's marshal of Yellow Sky and one of the most troublesome criminals of the town. Scratchy Willis, one of the old gang's members, is drunk and ready to attack any randomly chosen figure in the town. By describing people's apprehension, Crane helps the reader understand what a troublemaker Willis is. Finally, Willis decides to go and kill Jack Potter, the marshal of Yellow Sky.
As Jack Potter, still anxious to see the first impression people have of his wife, goes briskly home, he sees Scratchy Willis pointing his gun towards him. It is almost all over, the reader and Jack himself think. A requiem for Jack Potter starts playing in the reader's mind before Willis actually gets to learn that the lady next to Jack is his wife and they were about to get to home. Surprising both Jack Potter and the reader, Scratchy Willis puts his gun into its holster and goes away.
Now, the end of the story, quiet similar to that of "A Rose for Emily,"ÃÂÃÂ makes the reader surprise. Willis has always been a troublemaker. Or has he not? Crane gives a hint about it where the bartender remarks, "When he's sober he's all right "ÃÂÃÂ kind of simple "ÃÂÃÂ would not hurt a fly...