¶ … characters in a story by William Faulkner. The story That Evening Sun provides an interesting study in characters because it places children with an adult but the adult is not considered equal. There were two sources used to complete this paper.
Throughout history many authors have developed their characters to interact with each other so that the reader can come to know them as well as the author does. In one story by William Faulkner called That Evening Sun the character Nancy and the children are a main focus of the story at hand.)One of the most interesting points of the story is the fact that the children are actually portrayed as equal to Nancy. It is a commentary on the era as well as the attitudes of the era.
Nancy
Nancy is a Negro who lives in the era in which blacks were treated like second class citizens. It is interesting to watch her character unfold as she was not totally submissive in spite of her "station" in life. She was someone who was willing to manipulate and argue to try and get her way which was strongly discouraged by African-Americans at the time. As the story moves forward the reader can feel the fear that Nancy experienced as well as a tug of uncomfortableness because she acts in ways that do not draw firm lines between her adult status and the children in the story.
THE CHILDREN
There are three children in the story and while their characters initially appear to be supporting in nature as the story unfolds they show themselves to be the focus of the underlying message. Each of the children have little dialogue when the story begins but toward the end of the story the dialogue increases and the truth of the relationships and equal status of the children to the negro comes out.
HOW IT IS PORTRAYED
While the story is set in an era in which children were more often seen and not heard the children in this instance are vocal. This is the first indicator that the children consider themselves as equal to Nancy. In later scenes the reader discovers that...
The opening scenes are a bit deceiving because Nancy's response initially indicates she feels she is the adult and they are the children.
What yawl mean, chunking my house?" Nancy said. "What you little devils mean?"
Father says for you to come on and get breakfast," Caddy said. "Father said. "Father says it's over a half an hour now, and you've got to come this minute." ain't studying no breakfast," Nancy said. "I going to get
sleep out (Faulkner, I)."
The above passage would be typical of the way an adult might talk to a group of children who had decided to throw rocks at her house, however, as the story continues the reader can begin to see that the children and Nancy are on equal social footing in their minds and their words.
One of the first indicators of this equal attitude is the fdact that Jason thinks nothing of reminding everyone that he is not an African-American the way Nancy is. Jason repeats the same sentence several times throughout the story.
A ain't a nigger," Jason said. "Am I, Dilsey?
A reckon not," Dilsey said. She looked at Nancy. "I don't' reckon so. What you going to do, then (Faulkner, III)?"
While in most cases the adult is the caretaker and their
position is that of
authority and protection of children this set of characters takes a turn when Nancy is afraid to go home by herself. It is here that the changes take
place and the reader senses Nancy's belief that she has more in common with the children than their
parents.
She looked at us, at all three of us at one time. "You member that…
