Question

What are some comments and interpretative ideas about the paragraph below from “barn burning” by William Faulkner?

"He did not look at his father again until they had reached the black place in the woods, where the road after a while dwindled to a path and then petered out altogether. His father walked faster and faster until he was almost running, stumbling now and then in the red dust, springing up again without faltering. His father swung the lantern and the boy followed, not running, now, quietly. Behind them the door of the house began to thunder shut. "He ain't coming," the boy said aloud and thought, He won't ever. He was not crying. He was simply trying to get a measure of his new situation. He had not even known he was crying. But he was not crying now, as his aunt and his mother and his sisters sobbed quietly in the room beyond the closed door."

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The paragraph from "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner depicts a tense and emotional scene between a young boy and his father. The boy seems to be following his father reluctantly, perhaps out of fear or obligation. His father's frantic pace and stumbling suggest a sense of urgency or desperation, while the boy follows quietly and calmly, suggesting a resignation to his fate.

The reference to the "black place in the woods" and the road dwindling to a path and then petering out altogether creates a sense of isolation and foreboding, hinting at the boy's precarious situation. The repetition of the word "running" suggests a sense of flight or escape, while the father's swinging of the lantern creates a sense of disorientation and instability.

The boy's realization that his father won't ever come back is a poignant moment, revealing a deep sense of loss and abandonment. The fact that he is not crying suggests a sense of detachment or numbness, perhaps due to repeated trauma or abuse. Meanwhile, the sobbing of the women in the closed room beyond the door highlights the emotional toll that this family conflict has taken on everyone involved.

Overall, this paragraph from "Barn Burning" offers a powerful commentary on the complex dynamics of family relationships, the psychological impact of trauma and abuse, and the interplay between internal and external states of emotion.