Blackberry Winter by Robert Penn Warren is a short story narrated by a man recalling his past. It is based on the life of a forty four year old man narrating the events that occurred when he was nine. Based in the writers homeland of rustic Tennesse , the storys events show the tough and grueling life led by the narrator (Bohner 169). The story has strong undertones of religion as Biblical references make a constant appearance in the text. This is coupled with specific examples like the Garden of Eden, the appearance of the anti-Christ and the disastrous flood. The setting, writing style and themes help emphasize the shift of the narrators perspective from childhood to adulthood.
The story is set in a small town that is destroyed by the oncoming of a ruthless storm. The entire region is flooded as the creek overflows. The water washes away the crops of this rural town and leaves its inhabitants suffering. Seth, the narrator of the story describes the situation in two households that of his own and his friend Jebbs. The story is marred by the arrival of a stranger who volunteers to work to help Seths family with the damage caused by the flood in exchange for food. Seth also narrates the situation in his friends home as he trails off to their house. Here he discovers woman-mizry. The story ends with the stranger being asked to leave Seths house. This mans rude behavior is a strong aspect of the end. The story ends with Seth following the man who angrily curses at him and asks him to leave.
Warren uses narration as his writing style for this story. The impact of Seth as a first- person narrator is strong because it allows the reader to gauge an exact perspective on the events that unfold. However, Warren does not reveal that the story is written by a grown man until the epilogue. The idea of memory plays an important role in the style of the story. The reader is forced to think of the perspective that has altered as the narrator has grown older. This style also makes the reader think of the impact that the harsh life has had on the narrator. It is difficult to tell whether the life has altered because of the one day narrated in the story or the life that followed. Also, because the reader is aware of the changes in age of the narrator, the ambiguity in the story is unexpected. The now older narrator is assumed to have a better understanding of the events that unfolded on that specific day. Yet, his narration proves that age is of little significance as Seth is still unable to explain the larger mysteries that exist in the world today. While, the problem has been recognized, there seems to be no solution to it. Thus, the writing style is a mark of excellence for any individual who wishes to read a narration that depicts the change between childhoods into adulthood.
The setting of the story is based in the South. This has special significance because Warren himself was an inhabitant of the region. Despite his fame, the writer continued to have an affiliation with his birth place. This is evident in the rich description given of the South and its community. The threat brought by industrialism is evident in the story as the agrarian form of life is constantly opposed by its industrialist counterparts (Blotner 259). Warren would spend his summers on his grandfathers farm. This created fond memories of the rural lifestyle which allowed Warren to create this piece of fiction. Also, as a native of the area, Warren felt the South to have seen much more hardship and suffering because of its role in the Civil War. Thus, the setting of the story, though rustic and conventional, is a fond reminder of the fortitude and beauty of the South.
There are several underlying themes in the Blackberry Winter. Amongst them is one that was commonly employed by Warren the relationship between father and son. The narrator of the story is torn between two men his father and the tramp (Millichap 139). The father is a model of perfect Southern civility and hospitality. He is shown as an affectionate and strong man. This is in sharp contrast to the tramp who is coarse and cowardly. While Seth is drawn to the tramp because of his switchblade, Seth is repulsed by his behavior towards his father. Thus, the constant clash of emotions for the tramp and father is a constant theme in the story. Another theme is the loss of innocence which occurred on that day When you are nine years old, what you remember seems forever for you remember everything and everything is important and stands big and full and fills up Time and is so solid that you can walk around it like a tree and look at it. From a childhood of untainted experience, the life of this young boy changes forever.
The Blackberry Winter is a story written to explain and define the role played by humanity. It also explores and describes the Southern lifestyle. The writing style, narration and them portrays the story of a young boy who has matured into adulthood (OKane 1998). His narration states a life that has been tough but effective in teaching him the lessons which allow survival in the world today.
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