"That Evening Sun

This paper will provide a critical analysis of "That Evening Sun." The discussion will center on the irony and symbolism used by the famous author. The paper will also outline the overall theme of racism and injustice which are conveyed by this story.

"That Evening Sun" was one of the best known short stories written by William Faulkner. The story took place in a small town named Jefferson in Mississippi sometime 50 years after the liberation of black slaves. During that time, the blacks were still suppressed and ignored by the whites. The main character, Nancy, was a black woman who feared that her husband would come back to kill her because she prostituted herself and consequently became pregnant by a white man. Faulkner has used the fear of a black woman to demonstrate the theme of injustice and hopelessness in the old South. Irony and symbolism were also used by Faulkner to show a great terror of the unfairness and injustice.

Shortly after Faulkner's story opens, the writer introduces us to his main character, Nancy, by providing us with a description of her as she is seen through the eyes of a child, Quentin. Nancy's face is described as having a sad look to it, mostly because it is a little sunken in "where her teeth were missing" (Frey, p. 33).

The fact that Nancy's teeth were missing is the first hint of Faulkner's symbolism and irony. The missing teeth are a symbol of the violence plaguing b

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ncy to have used the image of Jesus because she does not want to admit to the children why she is actually afraid: she fears her husband because she has committed adultery. Some of the confusion about the role "Jesus" played in the story is apparently caused by the fact that Nancy's husband is, again ironically, named Jesus. Moreover, Faulkner never actually reveals whether Jesus is really coming to kill his estranged wife or not, so whether Nancy's fears are groundless is the kind of thing that reasonable minds may disagree about (Magill, p. 2325). The fact that her husband's name is Jesus is ironic (Perrine, p. 24) because in some respects, not only can she not turn to her own husband for help, but her faith in Jesus does not seem to bring her any justice either. Nancy is still terrified that she will die. In any case, Nancy is destroyed, one way or another, by fear. She is no longer capable of watching over the children (she has to lure them home to watch over her), and she is convinced that she will not be returning the next morning, no matter what Mr. Compson has to say about it. Another one of the ironies in this story is the indifference of the Compsons (Howe, p. 266). No matter how Nancy pleads, at the end, wi
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Approximate Word count = 1951
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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