Go, Moses

Author: Faulkner
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Go Down, Moses was written during the peak of Faulkner's creative abilities. From this work, one can see that he had already mastered narrative techniques. However, without using these techniques to deeply and convincingly immerse readers in the inner worlds of his characters, even the most skilled mastery of technique would be meaningless. Go Down, Moses (1942) continues to reveal how racial discrimination, greedy possession, and material desires hinder human communication. Describing the themes of such masterpieces in this way might cause readers to become lost in the vivid character portrayals and realistic depictions of scenes and events, unfairly overlooking their true power. Go Down, Moses is one of Faulkner's most celebrated works and an important part of the Yoknapatawpha Cycle. The Southern planter McCaslin had a daughter with a female slave, who later had a son named Tull with her daughter. Tull later married the slave Cullin, and their descendants took the surname Buckner. McCaslin's granddaughter married Edmonds. The book tells the complex relationships among the descendants of these three surnames. The most prominent character is Isaac McCaslin, the grandson of McCaslin, who, under the guidance of a black hunter, participated in bear hunts from a young age. As he grew up, he saw through the distorted relationship between whites and slaves and voluntarily gave up his inheritance to become a carpenter in town. The book consists of two novellas and five short stories, each part relatively independent yetly integrated into a complete picture.