Introduction 

William Faulkner's The Bear, first published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1942, is often regarded as one of his most significant works. The story can stand alone or be read as part of Faulkner's collection Go Down, Moses, which explores recurring themes of race, inheritance, and the clash between civilization and nature in the American South.

Set in the late 1880s in Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, The Bear reflects the author's modernist and Gothic style and deep concern for the destruction of the wilderness. The story centers on the mythic initiation of young Isaac (Ike) McCaslin into manhood as he confronts both a legendary bear and the morally complex legacy of his family's history.

The story was published in multiple versions, with a notable difference being the inclusion of "The Bear II" in the novel form. This addition, which introduces section 4, expands the narrative beyond the hunt but has been seen as detracting from the hunting story's focus. A significant difference between the magazine and novel versions is that the bear is killed only in the latter.

Plot Summary

Isaac (Ike) McCaslin, an orphan raised by his older cousin, McCaslin (Cass) Edmonds, embarks on a hunting trip to Big Bottom, a forested hunting ground owned by Major de Spain, a former Civil War officer. This trip becomes a rite of passage for Ike, who is being introduced to the world of hunting and the wilderness.

While Ike appreciates his cousin, Cass, he feels a powerful bond with Sam Fathers, an elderly woodworker of Native American and African American descent. Sam teaches Ike about woodworking, hunting, and the ways of the forest. Sam shares stories about Old Ben, a powerful two-toed bear that has miraculously evaded hunters for years.

Sam explains that Old Ben is clever and will not appear if Ike is armed. So, without any hunting gear, Ike follows Sam's advice and sees Old Ben for the first time on one of his treks into Big Bottom. He later tells Sam about this encounter, who explains that the only way to hunt the bear is to find a brave hunting dog.

The following year, Ike and Sam find a ferocious dog, Lion, capable of tracking Old Ben. Along with Boon Hogganbeck, a strong but immature man, they prepare for the hunt. Despite their efforts, Old Ben again evades them after Boon fails to kill him.

When Ike turns sixteen, the group returns to Big Bottom for another hunting trip. Lion tracks down Old Ben, and a fierce struggle ensues between the bear and the dog. Boon ultimately kills Old Ben by stabbing him in the back, but Lion succumbs to his injuries soon after. The group mourns Lion's death, recognizing him as a brave and noble creature.

After Old Ben and Lion die, Sam falls ill, as if he is spiritually connected to both the bear and the dog. Weakened, he asks Boon to kill him mercifully. Boon and Ike bury him next to Lion and mourn his death. Afterward, the regular hunting trips to Big Bottom cease, symbolizing the end of an era.

When Ike turns 21, he reflects on his family's troubled history. He learns that his grandfather, Carothers McCaslin, fathered children with enslaved women, including Terrel, who inherited a small sum of money. In a gesture of justice, Ike tracks down Terrel's descendants and distributes their share of the family fortune. Rejecting his inheritance and the moral burden of the land, Ike chooses a life of simplicity as a carpenter.

The story concludes with Ike's return to Big Bottom after Major de Spain sells the land. He finds Boon obsessively trying to hunt squirrels with a broken gun, a futile act underscoring the fading of the wilderness and the end of the world Ike once knew.