The Bear

Isaac is an avid hunter who kills squirrels, rabbits, and deer, yet he hesitates to kill Old Ben when he has the chance. What, in Isaac’s view, sets Old Ben apart from those other animals?

Sam advises Isaac to be “scared” but not “afraid” (196). What distinction does he make between the two? How well does Isaac follow his advice, and what are the results?

Faulkner adopts different stylistic and grammatical conventions in the section of the text relating the dialogue between Isaac and McCaslin than he does elsewhere. What makes the subject matter of that section a particularly good fit for that style?

Isaac claims that the South is cursed. What does he mean by that, and what reasoning and evidence does he use to support his claim?

“The Bear” takes place in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional county loosely based on Lafayette County, Mississippi. What difference, if any, does knowing the setting to be fictional make to you as a reader?

American Exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is somehow special or different from other countries. Consider Isaac’s comments on the Old World, the Indigenous Americans, and the European settlers, with their respective roles. Does his retelling of American history support or undercut a narrative of American Exceptionalism?

In the closing scene, Isaac spots Boon apparently repairing his gun. What role do guns and, more broadly, technology play in defining the relationship between humans and nature in this story?

What does the flashback detailing Isaac’s hunting trip with Ash reveal about the attitudes of white landowners toward Black servants in the years after the Civil War?