"Flowering Judas" (1930) is a short story by Porter about an idealistic young woman who is ultimately betrayed by a group of Mexican revolutionaries when she fails to recognize their true nature.

"A Rose for Emily" (1931) by William Faulkner is a short story that delves into the life and death of an eccentric Southern woman.

"The Death of Ivan Ilych" (1886) by Leo Tolstoy is a novella that follows a dying Everyman as he attempts to justify his life's actions and beliefs.

"A Worn Path" (1941) by Eudora Welty tells the story of an elderly African-American woman who undertakes a challenging journey to the town of Natchez, Mississippi, to get medicine for her ailing grandson.