The Bear (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: William Faulkner
- First Published: 1942
- Type of Work: Short story
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Race, South or Southerners, Nature, Bears, Boys
- Locales: Yoknapatawpha County (fictive)
“The Bear” is Faulkner's best-known and most highly regarded story; it takes its place among his wilderness narratives, such as Old Man (one of the two novellas that make up The Wild Palms), “Red Leaves” (1930), the best of Faulkner's Indian stories, and the escape of the black architect in Absalom, Absalom! Its genesis is typical of Faulkner's writing and publishing career: He used his material to the greatest degree. A short story titled “Lion” appeared in 1934; it was enlarged in 1941 and 1942 as “The Bear,” to be a section of the novel Go...
[The entire page is 816 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
