Author Comparison: Comparison Essay of Faulkner, Wright and Walker

The following is an analysis of three authors of the following stories; "Everyday Use: For Your Grandmama" (Walker), "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" (Right) and "Barn Burning" (Faulkner). All three stories will be used to demonstrate the similar techniques employed by the authors. Some main techniques to be discussed are narration, word choice, irony and symbolism. There are many similarities found in all three selected stories.

"The Man Who Was Almost a Man", by Richard Wright, is a story of the journey from boyhood to manhood. A seventeen year old, Dave, feels the need to prove that he is a man and thinks that owning a gun is the way to do that.

Alice Walker's story "Everyday Use" tells a story of family and loyalty, as well as finding one's identity. Ms. Johnson experiences inner conflict of loyalty to her two daughters, the outgoing and intelligent Dee and the scarred loner, Maggie.

Sarty, the main character in William Faulkner's Barn Burning is experiencing a conflict in identity and family loyalty. While trying to do what is right, he must make decisions which will affect his relationship with his family. Sarty must choose between being loyal to his father, who is a criminal and doing what is morally right.

The narrations that the authors use contribute to the reader's understanding of the text. Richard Wright's use of selective omniscient narration allows the reader insight into Dave's conflicts and apprehension. Wright describes Dave leaving the field towards home, contemplating his superiority over those he works with and how he can teach them to respect him;

Them niggers can't understan nothing. One of these days he was going to get a gun and practice shooting, then they couldn't talk to him as though he were a little boy. He slowed, looking at the ground. Shucks, Ah ain scareda them even ef they are biggern me!

This example shown how Wright describes both how he feels and what he is doing and seeing. The reader can sense Dave's feelings of inferiority.