At a glance:
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: About 1920-1950
- Setting: Houston, Texas, and an unnamed Midwestern city
- Characters: The cousin, James
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Family or family life, Suffering, Adolescence, Poverty or poor people, Human behavior, Boys, Isolation
- Locales: United States, Midwest (U.S.), North America, Houston, Texas
The Story
“The Faces of Blood Kindred” focuses on the relationship between the protagonist and his cousin James, and on two particular incidents that had a deeply felt and lasting effect on the protagonist. The lives of these two boys are shaped by and characteristic of the larger life of their wandering and suffering extended family. The mystery and profundity of blood ties and the essential sadness of human life are two of William Goyen’s primary concerns here and throughout his fiction.
Their story begins as James is coming to stay with the protagonist,...
(The entire page is 1788 words.)
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