Sutpen's Sons

                From our previous discussions and the reading of Faulkner’s letter, we’ve established that Sutpen represents the South.  This idea gives historical significance to the roles that Sutpen’s sons play in the novel.

                Charles Bon is of mixed race, symbolizing the relationship between black and white people in the South during the time period.  Therefore, it is significant that Sutpen has abandoned and turned his back on Charles Bon, showing that whites in the South had no interest in treating African-Americans humanely.  Henry is white only, however, and his role as Charles Bon’s murderer is to represent the effect racism had on the relationship between whites and blacks.  Henry’s racism, at least in part, leads him to kill Charles Bon, demonstrating that there was no way for his generation to repair the damage done to African-Americans or make any attempt to restore relations between the two groups.

                The fact that Sutpen’s sons carry out the drama is significant as well.  Slavery was an event that spanned across generations and after its end, its effects were still felt for many more.  Sutpen, a first generation slave holder (as far as our knowledge of his family tree goes), passed the sins of the father down to the sons, ensuring that future generations would be worse off.