The first all black, incorporated town in Florida is Eatonville, FL. Check out this link if you want some more information on it. http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/hikeplans/eatonville/planeatonvil.html
Faulkner is not afraid to tackle "delicate subjects" in his short stories. In "A Rose for Emily," he artfully tackles racism, mental illness, sexual abuse/incest, and necrophilia. You know, the lighter side of life. The title of our next story is deceptively bucolic (if you don't know what it means, look it up (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/). From the title, "That Evening Sun," you would expect a pleasant little tale. However, remember that we are dealing with Faulkner theses days, so if that's your expectation, it won't be realized. Like "A Rose for Emily," it takes a couple trips through the story to come to grips with what is going on and the point of view is not what you would expect and contributes to the overall effect of the story. We are limited by what the narrator knows and comprehends about the events. Finally, unlike Emily's tale, "That Evening Sun" is rife with Biblical allusions. We'll see how well you know your Bible or at least how well you can research. :-).
You are only required to answer one question or reply to someone else's post. Be sure to use specific examples from the text. So here are you questions:
1. Why is the point of view just as critical with this story as it was with "A Rose for Emily" and how does it affect the plot of the the story?
2. Why do you think that Faulkner tackles "taboo" subjects in both "A Rose for Emily" and "That Evening Sun"?
3. In what ways is Faulkner commenting on his society?
4. Are these characters believable/realistic? Why or why not?
5. "That Evening Sun" is characterized as a psychological story. Why do you think that is? What elements in the story lead to this characterization?
6. Which character or character to you sympathize with the most? why?
Hope you enjoy this one--
Mrs. M
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22 comments:
#3. Faulkner illustrates the class structure of society and the differences between how whites and blacks lived during this time period. Faulkner obviously thinks it is wrong the way blacks are treated and shows it through the less than ideal actions of the white neighbors and townspeople.
In "That Evening Sun" the point of view is critical, as well as in the story " A Rose for Emily" by which both stories are those of the South and their ways of living. Faulkner wrote alot about his time and what was going on in the world. These stories convey the changes throuh out the years and the consequences that the people had to go through. The plot of these stories both have alot to do with rasism and prejudice. Nancy getting pregnant by a white man was a major action in this story that made the story was it is. It set off the mood of the story and showed the readers how the rest of the town felt. It expressed the morals of the people in that day of time and what the people who didnt abide by the beliefs had to go through. I really enjoyed the story, though like "A Rose For Emily" it was a little on the weird side.
I sympathize with Nancy the most out of all the characters in the short story. Even though she was unfaithful to her husband, and possibly conceived a white man's child, I do not believe she should of been murdered for her mistakes. Even all the while she was anticipating her death, it appeared that no one was concerned except Mr. Compson. And his concern was only to an extent.
If I am comprehending "That Evening Sun" right(lol) then, I agree with Abby and sympathize with Nancy the most. It's possible she was unfaithful but maybe she was forced to conceive that baby- Because Jesus said that he could not stop white men from coming into his own house. Either way, I feel like she didn't know any better. Nancy seemed to be very uneducated and sheltered. Therefore, she should not have been murdered for her "mistakes".
I think that Faulkner tackles "taboo" subjects in both "A Rose for Emily" and "That Evening Sun." In "A Rose for Emily" he talked about a women going through extreme lows and pyschological issues with the death of her father and the absense of a man in her life. In Faulkners time talking about a woman going crazy and killing a man just so he wouldn't leave her was a little rare. He also wrote about the racial views of the towns people much like he did in "That Evening Sun." In "That Evening Sun" Nancy was a black woman who was impregnated by a white man. This also goes with Faulkners growing up in a time when racism was common. He addresses some of the racial aspects that took place in that time, which is considered very taboo.
6. I sympathize with two of the characters in the story. One of the characters I sympathize with is the father Jason. I think that he really wanted to help out Nancy but it seemed like when he tried to his wife always stepped in the way and put him on guilt trips. Like the time when we walked her home and she said "you'll leave me alone to take Nancy home?". But i feel that if Jason wasnt married to his wife that he would have made a better effort to protect Nancy even though he knew that she had done wrong.
The other character I sympathize is Nancy. I'm agreeing with Abby here. I dont think that she should have been murdered for the mistakes that she made.
#6.
I sympathize with many people in this story, but I think I sympathize with Nancy the most. I think the times were very hard for her. She lived in a time when blacks were treated so badly with no respect. She seemed like she made many mistakes, but she also seemed like a very hard worker. She was very scared in the story. She was scared to walk down the lane to go home at night. Nancy says "shes scared what will happen in the dark". No one should live their life being that scared all the time.
1. The point of view of this story is very important because the story needs to be told from someone who was living through these experiences. The fact that the narrator was a child and didnt understand a lot of what was going on might be able to represent the way Faulkner felt about the way of life in the South. He didn't understand why people were acting the way they were and he didnt agree with their way of life.
I agree with Shelby in that I sympathize with the father Jason because he really wanted to help Nancy but the wife was being dumb in the way she always tried to stop him from helping her. I beleive that she was in a way jealous of Nancy because Jason would leave her alone to take Nancy home. I don't think that she was really scared to be alone, I beleive that she just hated Nancy. I do beleive that he could have made a better effort to help Nancy though, and he shouldn't have let his wife hold him back from doing what was right.
I agree with Kim; I sympathize for Nancy. I feel that she may have been forced into what happened. In the time which this story is taking place there was lots of men that sleep with their slaves behind their own wives. I feel that she was almost ashamed of what was going on but knew there was nothing that she could do to change it. I feel that her husband was going to kill her because the thought of it disgusted him. So that is why I feel this way and why I also agree with Kim.
The point of veiw is very important because like in "A Rose for Emily" the story being told from a townspersons point of veiw made it much differnt than if it where told from emily or tobe. It is the same in "That Evening Sun" If it were told from Nacy's point of veiw the whole story would change.
Brittany W.
1. The point of view is just as important because it shows the personalities of all the characters and everything that is going on in the story. It shows how the wife complains a lot, and the husband Jason is a little indifferent, etc. It allows you to imagine how everything is taking place.
I agree with Abby, because I sympathize with Nancy the most. Her husband, Jesus, said that he could not stop a white man from coming into his house. I believe that Nancy had no choice but to sleep with a white man because in those days people would most likely believe a white person over a black and it wouldn't matter what she said because she couldn't defend herself. If she would have told someone the chances of them believeing her were almost none and they would have killed her any way. It's also evident that she was not well educated and possibly couldn't have known what she was doing was wrong. Throughout the whole story she's terrified that Jesus is going to kill her although it never says for what i think it was because she was unfaithful. Either way I don't think she should have been killed because everything that happened was forced upon her.
In "That Evening Sun" a child's point of view is perfect. The child can relate what is being said and going on, though he doesn't understand it all. This gives the reader enough information to see the circumstances without being crude. It also allows room for assumptions and speculations because all of the information is not known. We can see how life in those days was from a child's point of view and get an insight into the confusion they felt. It also relates how much racism was a part of life, because Jason, who is only 5-years-old, says that Nancy and Dilsey are "niggers," but he's not a "nigger."
I deffintly sympathize with Jason. It seemed that throughout the entire story, nobody would listen to him. Especialy his siblings. It seemed that nobody would believe him either. He was the youngest so it was kinda implied that he shouldn't be taken seriously.
I Sympathize with Nancy the Most. Even thought Nancy cheated on there husband with a "white man" and beard his child she knew that she was going to be killed by Jesus. She even let the family that she was a servant for know that she was to be killed, but they did not believe her. They did not trust what she was saying and just kept telling her she was a "nigger." I also agree with Shelby, if Jason I think had a choice I think that he would have helped Nancy. He had the guilt of his wife telling him things like “ I must wait here alone in this big house while you take a Negro woman home.” So that makes me believe that he did want to help Nancy but he would be putting himself in a predicament if he helped her.
I have sympathy, to an extant, for many characters. I noticed that a lot of people sympathized with Nancy the most. But why? Sure she did get pregnant by Mr. Stovall, but did anyone notice that when she confronted him, all she wanted was her money? “When you going to pay me, white man? When you going to pay me, white man. It’s been three times now since you paid me a cent-.” How do we know that she didn’t sleep around for money? Nowhere in the story did it say that Nancy was paid to do other people’s laundry. I sympathize with Nancy for the fact that she accidently got pregnant and now her husband, Jesus, wants to kill her, but the fact that she might be a prostitute in her spare time, I have no sympathy for that. I also have sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Compson for the simple fact that it’s not easy to take care of a grown woman, Nancy, who obviously can’t take care of herself. I’m sure Mr. Compson did not look forward to walking Nancy home a good deal of the time and I’m sure that Mrs. Compson didn’t enjoy being left at home alone, especially after Nancy told everyone about her crazy, murderous husband on the loose. Then again, how do we know that Mr. Compson, like Mr. Stovall, wasn’t getting any action too? Even Mrs. Compson believed something was going on. “You could tell that by the way she said the name. Like she believed that all day father had been trying to think of doing the thing she wouldn’t like the most, and that she knew all the time that after a while he would think of it.” I think Mrs. Compson had just about every right to complain about her husband walking Nancy home. I know I wouldn’t want my husband “walking” someone home, especially when that person gives out the lemonade for free. Well, almost free. Also, what about poor Jesus? Did anyone stop to think about his situation? His wife goes out, sells herself, and gets pregnant by another man. I’m sure he feels less of a man now. He probably feels like he can’t provide for his wife financially and quite possibly sexually, and if you noticed, it said nothing about Jesus and Nancy having any children. What if Jesus wanted children? Nancy’s unborn child isn’t even his. Sure he wants to kill her for what she did, but can you blame him? Who wouldn’t at least think about doing the same thing if the roles were switched?
I agree with curlysue. I think that if anyone else would have told the story in "the evening sun" the outcome or maybe even how the story went would have changed. Either because the different lifestyles or belief the person shares. It really would have changed this story.
I love American Lit. and posting to this blog!!
6.) I sympathize with the children. Reason why is they don't understand the what is really going on with their mother and father. They don't understand why their mom has a big watermalon, also they don't understand what their mom really does as a profesion. For instance the kids heard Nancey and Jesus talking and they said Jesus said that it was a “watermelon.” When Nancy retorted, “It never come off your vine, though,” Jesus responded, with a hint of future violence, “I can cut down the vine it did come off of.” The kids didn't understand any of it, they would ask them what watermalon and so on this is a big reason why i sympathize with them.
I made a mistake on my blog and said that the dads name was Jason sorry for that.
You write very well.
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