William Faulkner was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. He wrote many great stories that were focused mainly in the southern United States, using similar characters and the setting of Yoknapatawpha County. In 1950, Faulkner received a Nobel Peace Prize for literature and in his acceptance speech for the award he stated that for a story to last forever it must include six eternal verities, which are love, honor, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice. (Faulkner 3). Sometimes these values are obvious, but others are hidden away in the writing. The following titles by Faulkner will show most if not all six eternal verities are present in their text.
The first of Faulkner’s eternal verities is love. Love is possibly the most common value in stories, and despite William Faulkner’s writing style it love is present even if it is at the very end of the work. In “Barn Burning,” Satoris Snopes cares for his family throughout the story until Abner, his father, burns down major de Spain’s barn. Love is also present in “A Rose for Emily” at the conclusion of the story, where the townspeople found Emily’s “iron gray hair” on the pillow beside Homer Baron’s dead body. (Faulkner 472-473). However, love in Faulkner’s stories can be just a …show more content…
In “A Rose for Emily,” the townspeople sacrifice Emily’s privacy to sneak around her house to eliminate the unknown odor and to send a pastor to her house to question her, but this does not affect the outcome of the story. (Faulkner 469-470). However, in “Barn Burning” Sardy sacrifices his family to warn de Spain about his father burning down the barn, and he runs away into the woods. (Faulkner 264-266). Another example is at the end of “Dry September,” the barber sacrifices attempts to save Will Mayes to survive, because if he did not jump out of the car the others probably would have killed him too. (Faulkner
The first of Faulkner’s eternal verities is love. Love is possibly the most common value in stories, and despite William Faulkner’s writing style it love is present even if it is at the very end of the work. In “Barn Burning,” Satoris Snopes cares for his family throughout the story until Abner, his father, burns down major de Spain’s barn. Love is also present in “A Rose for Emily” at the conclusion of the story, where the townspeople found Emily’s “iron gray hair” on the pillow beside Homer Baron’s dead body. (Faulkner 472-473). However, love in Faulkner’s stories can be just a …show more content…
In “A Rose for Emily,” the townspeople sacrifice Emily’s privacy to sneak around her house to eliminate the unknown odor and to send a pastor to her house to question her, but this does not affect the outcome of the story. (Faulkner 469-470). However, in “Barn Burning” Sardy sacrifices his family to warn de Spain about his father burning down the barn, and he runs away into the woods. (Faulkner 264-266). Another example is at the end of “Dry September,” the barber sacrifices attempts to save Will Mayes to survive, because if he did not jump out of the car the others probably would have killed him too. (Faulkner