The Bear by William Faulkner Essay - 1088 Words

William Faulkner’s novella â€Å"The Bear† from his collection of works, Go Down Moses, is a symbolic exploration of the relationship between man and nature in the eyes of a young boy. The heart of the issue, the warped idea of the ownership of land, is revealed thought the clash of man and nature in a wild chase that ends only in blood and death. The prey is nature itself, represented by a bear, while the hunters are men, full of greed and destructive possessiveness, pursuing that which they do not understand. Ike’s idea of the bear, presented in section 1 of the novella, expresses the idea of symbolism in relation to the bear and to the hunters and what the battle between the two represents. The bear itself, Old Ben, is a symbol for†¦show more content†¦Upon his first encounter with the woods, Ike is lost in wonder, it has been his dream for as long as he could remember to join the men on the hunt and explore the beauty of the big woods. What sets I ke apart from the other men, however, is his wonder of the wilderness, not just of its size, but of what mysteries it contains. When he arrives he feels the need â€Å"to earn for himself from the wilderness the name and state of hunter provided he in his term were humble and enduring enough.† (192) Ike doesn’t desire the approval of any of the other hunter, his cousin, or even his wise mentor Sam Fathers. Instead he knows that the right to claim the name of hunter lies in earning the approval â€Å"from the wilderness† and to do so he must be â€Å"humble and enduring.† (192) Those words do not seem to fit with the violent acts of the other hunters; to them the ability to shoot and kill is all that really matters, hence the disrespect for Boon and the position of Walter Ewell as a senior hunter. By using gentle words Faulkner states that there is more to â€Å"hunting† than killing, what Ike desires and seeks to prove himself worthy of is belong ing to nature, to feel its beauty and strength running through him. Without this sense of approval and belonging from the woods, Ike feels he is unworthy to take the life of an animal and to use what he has gained from death toShow MoreRelatedWilliam Faulkner s The Bear939 Words   |  4 Pagesthat William Faulkner was also one of these Southerners, approaching to his texts through a psychoanalytic lens would be a meaningful work. In fact, Faulkner is one of the rare writers who faced Southern racial ‘taboo’: the miscegenation. In addition, a Southern Renaissance that what Faulkner does with the South through his novels are very similar with what Freud did with the European civilization after the World War I in his work about ‘psychoanalytic mourning’ (Lee 229). Actually, Faulkner wentRead MoreFreedom of Humanity Depends on the Connection with Nature842 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Bear† is a book written in 1942 by William Faulkner that deals w ith the life of an ancient bear named Old Ben. Old Ben affects the lives of most hunters that know him, and most importantly it he has a great influence on Ike and the wilderness. â€Å"The Bear† is not only about the life of Old Ben, but it is also about the wilderness, racism, possession of land, and the meaning of humanity. The interpretation of wilderness Faulkner present in his book is that the forest represents an essential connectionRead MoreAnalysis of William Faulkners The Bear892 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Faulkners The Bear William Faulkners story The Bear is certainly one of the most impressive texts in modern American literature. The idea of a snake is present in a series of occasions in the story and it has a more or less tendency to influence readers to take on particular understandings of the concept of a snake. While people generally have the tendency to associate snakes with the idea of evil (largely as a result of how snakes are portrayed in Christian teachings), Faulkner apparently wantsRead More William Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear Essay1035 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear The Bear is a short novel in an anthology that begins in Yoknapatwpha County sometime after the Civil War. The story deals with loyalty, honor, truth, bravery, courage, fear, nature, history and choices. Cleanth Brooks best described this story by saying, Faulkners villains do not respect nature and their fear of it has nothing in common with the fear of the Lord or with awe in the presence of the divine. (Brooks 149) In the storyRead MoreAnalysis of William Faulkners Nobel Prrize of Literarure Speech1012 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of William Faulkner’s Noble Prize of Literature Acceptance Speech William Faulkner was an often misunderstood writer of many novels and short stories. (William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech ) It was not until 1949 and after his death when he was given the Nobel Prize in Literature that people began to acknowledge him and his works. (William Faulkner) In his Nobel Prize of Literature acceptance speech, at the city hall in Stockholm on December 10, 1950, Faulkner uses a powerfulRead More Quentins Struggle in The Sound and the Fury Essay1144 Words   |  5 Pagesmuch more than he can or should have to bear.   Thats how he finds that he can bear anything.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Faulkner (Fitzhenry   12) In Faulkners The Sound and the Fury, we are given a character known as Quentin, one who helps us more fully understand the words of the author when delivering his Nobel Prize acceptance speech The young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself (The Faulkner Reader   3).   Quentin engenders so muchRead More Biographical Influences Essay of William Faulkner619 Words   |  3 PagesBiographical Influences Essay of William Faulkner William Faulkner was a quite man who rarely spoke to anyone. Although he did not graduate High School, Faulkner had an innate ability to remember even the slightest detail of things he heard. The past has always played a role in the telling of most of his stories. However, before we can understand his style of writing, it is important to understand what influences played an important role in his writings. William Faulkner was heavily influencedRead MoreA Rose For Emily By William Faulkner883 Words   |  4 PagesIn the timeless classic, â€Å"A rose for Emily† by William Faulkner we are introduced to Emily Grierson, a matured sheltered southern woman; born to a proud, aristocratic family presumably during the American Civil War. Through out the short story William Faulkner uses many literary devices such as symbolism, metaphors and allegory to play with â€Å"time† and how time reflects upon his main character Emily Grierson. Emily being one who denies the abi lity to see time for what it is linear and unchangeableRead MoreThe Old South versus Modernism in William Faulkners The Sound and The Fury 837 Words   |  3 Pagesfamily issues send a powerful message. Faulkner knew that his time was a time of change and he utilized that fact very well. He knew that many others would relate to the Compson’s due to the modernist movement coming about. The power struggle between agrarian ways and modernist ideals was coming to a peak. William Faulkner pits Southern tradition against emerging modernism in The Sound and The Fury through the Compson family’s struggles. Faulkner utilizes Quentin Compson, who strives andRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Southern Renaissance Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesCivil War are known to have had strong trauma that could not be forgotten. Considering that William Faulkner was also one of these Southerners, approaching to his texts through a psychoanalytic lens would be a meaningful work. In fact, Faulkner is one of the rare writers who faced Southern racial ‘taboo’: the miscegenation. In addition, Richard King said in his book, â€Å"A Southern Renaissance† that what Faulkner does with the South through his novels are very similar with what Freud did with the European