In the prose “That Evening Sun Go Down,” William Faulkner gives an account that illustrates a tremendous emotive turmoil in the life of Nancy. Through the firsthand account of what Nancy goes through, the narrator, Quentin, transfers Nancy’s severity of the disruption to the reader but does not seem to comprehend what is going on. Nancy’s fear of the dark and the violence she associates with it makes her use the Compton children as her protection.
The literary device to be used as a catalyst is symbolism, which shows the peace and threat that comes with light and darkness. Through symbolism, the author shows the threat Nancy faces every time darkness falls. For her, as the sun sets, the danger that comes with the night starts. Despite Jubah being absent in her life, she still believes he is waiting in the dark to attack her. Nancy takes the Compton children to spend the night at her house since she considers her absent lover will not come to her in the presence of the children. Her fear makes her say, “I scared of the dark, I scared for it to happen in the dark” (Faulkner). Further, when Mr. Compton comes for his children, Nancy says, “When yawl go, I gone. I be dead tomorrow. I done had saved up the coffin money with Mr. Lovelady” (Faulkner). Alone in the dark, Nancy only feels safer when the sun rises in the morning.
Nancy’s fear of the dark makes her seek refuge in the company of Compton’s children. However, while the narrator explains what happens to Nancy, he does not understand what she dreads. With light representing safety and darkness violence, Faulkner uses symbolism to show the depth of Nancy’s fears. The violent encounter between Jubah and Nancy continues to haunt her and interferes with how she sees the night.
Work Cited
Faulkner, William. “That Evening Sun Go Down.” U.S. Stories: Regional Stories from the Forty Eight States.