Character Analysis

The story "The Cousins," by Joyce Carol Oates, begins in Europe shortly before World War II. Rebecca, having been born within the boundaries of the United States, has been an American citizen, and has never lived in Europe. Her cousin Freyda, whose escaping family was denied entrance to the United States, was a child during the war, and spent time in German Concentration and Extermination Camps. It was not until after the war that she entered the United States. Rebecca and Freyda are both the round characters of the story (Roberts, 247). I have chosen Rebecca for this essay.

Rebecca as ...