family theme

The theme of family is extremely important in the first 100 pages of AA. The entire novel is surrounded by family. The family includes Rosa, her sister Ellen, their father, his sister, Sutpen: Ellen’s husband, and their two children Henry and Judith. In the first couple chapters, the antagonist is definitely Sutpen. The different points of view all describe his character as intruding, and he eventually intrudes into the family. Rosa definitely expresses her discomfort with his actions and belonging in their family. Then, in the next couple chapter there are two others intruders on their family. The first and more obscure intruder is the Civil War. The father does not believe in the efforts of the civil war and instead goes upstairs and locks himself in his room. The Civil War ends up being the death of him. But, Rosa does not give up on him and continues to feed him until his death a couple years later. Then there is Henry’s best friend Bon, who ends up becoming engaged to Judith. Bon works as an antagonist to Henry because he puts false hope him and eventually causes him to denounce his family name. Also, he breaks Judith’s heart.