1、Different Father Images in Two Short Stories by Anderson and FaulknerSince time immemorial, there are a large number of works whose subjects are on the basis of father image. However, although the subjects are the same, the characteristics of the father which the works convey are distinct based on d
2、ifferent topics, such as father image in “the Triumph of the Egg”1. and “Barn Burning”2. Most people trust that “father” in “the Triumph of the Egg” is a simple but craven person who is deeply influenced by his wife after marriage and becomes ambitious, but finally fails to be successful in his busi
3、ness. Whereas, “father” in “Barn Burning” is described as an earthy but peremptory person who is unable to express himself articulately or intelligently, so his recourses for self- expression are violence and cruelty, that is burning barns. This paper is going to analyze different father images in t
4、hese two short stories.A lot of people agree that father image in “the Triumph of the Egg” is no doubt a laughing- stock in the society which focuses on male chauvinism. At the very 11 1. Tao Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).2. Tao
5、Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, William Faulkner (1879-1962).3. Tao Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), Page 134.4. Tao Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, begi
6、nning of the story, “father”, a farmer who is as common as others, doesnt have any ambition except on Saturday driving his horse into town to spend a few hours in social intercourse with other farm- hands and drink several glasses of beer. At that time, “he is quiet happy in his current position in
7、life and has no notion of trying to rise in the world.”3. He is satisfied with the existing state of affairs and does not have any desire for improving his life condition. But after he marries a country- school teacher, both have much desire to get rich. Therefore, father and mother have a bash at d
8、ifferent business. They rent a poor stony land and launch into chicken raising, but fail to get rich. As a result, fathers character is changed from being happy about his current life to being frustrated and incommunicative. Nevertheless, due to the eager to become wealthy, they have to give up the
9、business of chicken raising and embark in the restaurant business, his cowardly, incompetent and funny personalities are reflected in various things. “He decided that he had in the past been an unsuccessful man because he had not been cheerful enough and that in the future he would adopt a cheerful
10、outlook on life. In the early morning he came upstairs and got into bed with mother.”4. From this description, we know that the father attributes his previous failure to no cheerful outlook. Generally speaking, if we are not succeeding in our business, the main reason may be our incompetence or some
11、 mistakes we have made. However, “father” considers the origin of failure in the abnormal light, instead of thinking about the reason for failure in the normal way. Many people think that he is funny and maybe a little bit ridiculous. Then, in order to lurk customers, “father” Sherwood Anderson (187
12、6-1941), Page 137.poses an idea which “mother” is doubtful, that is “mother smiled at the boarders and I, catching the infection, smiled at our cat. “Father” became a little feverish in his anxiety to please.”5. He cannot promote a wise way but some strange ideas to improve the operating status. Wha
13、ts more, at last, he even does some odd actions to please one of his customers, but ending with failure. Meanwhile, he is regarded as a grotesque. “A roar of anger rose from my fathers throat. He danced and shouted a string of inarticulate words. He laid the egg gently on the table and dropped on hi
14、s knees by the bed as I have already explained.”6. That is his action when he fails to lurk his customer. What he does is not to solve the problem but to look for oasis from “mother”. Based on these facts, most people conclude that his behavior not only shows his cowardly character but also manifest
15、s his submission to the fortuneHowever, compared with the father image in “the Triumph of the Egg”, what “Barn Burning” displays is distinctive. Many people think this short story reveals unsophisticated, selfish and imperious characteristics of “father”. These 2characteristics are presented in next
16、 several examples. “Likely his father had already 2 5. Tao Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), Page 138.6. Tao Jie, Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), Page 140.7. Tao Jie,
17、Selected Readings in American Literature, Higher Education Press, William Faulkner (1879-1962), Page 168.arranged to make a crop on another farm before heHe latent ravening ferocity not so much a sense of dependability as a feeling that his ferocious conviction in the rightness of his own actions wo
18、uld be of advantage to all whose interest lay with his”7. From the text we know that every time, when he gets into trouble and has to move to another place, he will prepare for a lot independently before taking family to leave. He solves problems in his own way independently, even though which is no
19、t wise. Whereas, some people insist that the weakness of “father” s personalities is he is simply a primitive, thoughtless force of violence and destruction because the way that he uses to revenge is to burn barns of his enemies. As a result, the family has to move to another place to live. From thi
20、s point, he is selfish because before doing some wrong things, he does not consider about the consequences which may lead to suffering to his family. Besides, “father” tells one of his sons that he should remain loyal to his “blood” or family, or he will find himself alone. His threat suggests fathe
21、rs outrageous personality. This kind of feature is also displayed in the last part of story: he burns hosts barn because he is unwilling to compensate for the damage of the hosts rug. The need for revenge maybe is borne of his sense of inferiority, and lack of power. He compensates for these shortco
22、mings by being a silent tyrant, ruling his family with threats and the promise of violence, as well as by destroying the livelihood of those individuals he believes have sighted him8. Fathers image displayed in the two short stories by Anderson and Faulkner has its own features. In “the Triumph of t
23、he Egg”, based on fathers strange ideas and cowardly behaviors, the author shows a heterogeneous father image. However, in “Barn Burning”, the author, depending on fathers words and imperious actions, presents a selfish and peremptory father image. Although two short stories display different kinds of personalities of “father”, both have their own special features. Therefore, relying on other peoples research, two stories have significant influence in literary circles respectively.33 8. http:/
