I read “Kneel to the rising sun” by Erskine Caldwell

This story was as follows-the hero Lonnie was black and he worked under domination of one man Arch Gunnard who was white. Lonnie in one time was influenced the character of Clem who sometimes beg to Arch bravery, tried to request rations to Arch. Hatty, wife of Lonnie found pa wasn’t in the house, Lonnie decided to search pa. But pa was putted into hogs barn and later killed. It was probably did by Arch, Clem got angry about it without endurance, he went to Arch, criticized him and this attitude made Arch angry to kill him. Clem hide into the woods. Clem beg Lonnie so as not to identify the position he hide, but after all Lonnie said the places Clem hide because Lonnie felt a fear by Arch and his gang when he hadn’t said the places Clem was, furthermore Clem was killed by Arch. When Arch got home, wife Hatty waited taking notice of pa went on, but Lonnie said nothing, also Hatty begged him go up the big house and ask for a little piece of streak-of-lean because of hunger she felt, but Lonnie said no.-I ain’t hungry.

The most interesting part in this story was the last scene, the difference of acknowledgments that brought by Arch was happen-wife don’t know where pa went, even she don’t knows the death of Clem, her husband knows the death of pa and Clem. In this story I could felt the brutality of Arch, there was the scene Arch collected dog’s tails-“He had been cutting off tails ever since anyone could remember, and during all those years he had accumulated a collection of which he was so proud that he kept the trunk locked and the key tied around his neck on a string”. That was so awful thing. Also the expression of Lonnie’s hesitation to Arch because of fear was interesting-“Lonnie found himself jumping to his feet. His first thought was to ask for the sowbelly and molasses, and maybe some corn meal; but when he opened his mouth, the words refused to come out.”

 

参考

アースキンコールドウェル著・西川正身注釈、”Kneel to the rising sun, and other stories”、研究社、1967年

蔵原惟人、1977年、『世界短編名作選 アメリカ編』、新日本出版社