Similarities of Southern Writing

A detailed Summary of Similarities of Southern Writing

How are the works of two completely different writers, "Barn Burning" by a white, male with an aristocratic background, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by a black, female with a humble background, so similar? The answer lies in the notion that both William Faulkner and Zora Neale Hurston create works that thrive on the discord that is inherent to humanity; in fact, their literary force comes from the fact that they are both well equipped to tap into the sometimes grim yet always intriguing aspects of the human condition. In short, they are both southern writers writing about southern topics. The dominance of these southern themes is what makes these two works similar, although the emphasis placed upon the themes differ.

One important thread woven through both "Barn Burning" and Their Eyes Were Watching God is tension provoked because of class or race differences. For starters, racial relations mostly serve as a background to both stories. Both take place around the Civil War, so racial prejudice is still omnipresent. However, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses race relations to portray a deeper message. She describes Mrs. Turner, a black woman with "white" features who is hateful towards blacks, with pity and

Although "Barn Burning" and Their Eyes Were Watching God are tinged with race and social struggle, they are more largely about coming of age. "Barn Burning" is actually more centralized on Colonel Sartoris's maturation than Abner's destruction. However, Abner's barn burning is the crucible of Sarty's growth. Throughout the story, Colonel Sartoris is torn between family loyalty and individual morality. At the beginning, Sarty chooses family loyalty largely in part because he is not strong enough to stand up to his father's dishonest demands. Abner influences Sarty to "stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood to stick to you" (493). However, as Sarty gains strength to stand up on his own against his father, he discovers that individual morality is more important than "your own blood". Thus, Sarty divulges Abner's plans of burning the de Spain's barn in order to stay true to what he believes is right. In the end, Sarty transforms into a completely new person: night turns to day, spring turns to summer, bad times turn to good times, and boy turns to man. This new man traverses into "the dark woods" (503), the unknown new phase of life, with no regrets and "[h]e [does] not look back" (503).

Just as Sarty matures from boy to independent man, Janie likewise develops from girl to independent woman. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of Janie's search for spiritual enlightenment and a strong sense of her own identity. At the beginning and at the end of the novel, she is alone. Thus, the novel is not the story of her quest for a partner as much as of her quest for a secure sense of independence. Ironically, she finds this independence through her various relationships. At the end of her journey, Janie returns to Eatonville a strong and proud woman, but at the beginning of her story, she is unsure of who she is or how she wants to live. She experiences a spiritual and sexual awakening under the pear tree that incites her pursuit for her own identity. She witne

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Approximate Word count = 1350
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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