Kneel to the Rising Sun by Erskine Caldwell
"Kneel to the Rising Sun" by Erskine Caldwell is a poignant story that explores the harrowing experiences of Lonnie Newsome, a poor white sharecropper in the United States. The narrative delves into Lonnie's struggles with psychological abuse and physical deprivation inflicted by the plantation owner, Arch Gunnard. As Lonnie grapples with the trauma of his father's death—directly linked to their inadequate food supply—he faces an internal battle with fear and helplessness. The story juxtaposes Lonnie's cowardice with the bravery of Clem Henry, an African American sharecropper who boldly confronts Arch for rations. This contrast highlights the complex dynamics of power, race, and survival within the oppressive sharecropping system. The climax reveals the devastating consequences of their plight, including the brutal death of Lonnie’s father and the murder of Clem, leaving Lonnie to confront his own complicity in the cycle of violence and subjugation. The narrative ultimately captures themes of fear, survival, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in dire circumstances. Readers interested in the intersections of race, class, and human resilience may find Caldwell's work particularly compelling.
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Kneel to the Rising Sun by Erskine Caldwell
First published: 1935
Type of plot: Psychological, regional
Time of work: The 1930's
Locale: On and near a southern plantation
Principal Characters:
Lonnie Newsome , a poor white sharecropperMark Newsome , his elderly, deaf fatherArch Gunnard , the owner of the plantationClem Henry , an African American sharecropper
The Story
"Kneel to the Rising Sun" focuses on the poor white sharecropper Lonnie Newsome, as he struggles to cope with psychological abuse and physical deprivation at the hands of the plantation owner and with the death of his own father, which was directly related to this deprivation.
Initially, Lonnie agonizes about how to conquer his fear and request more rations from plantation owner Arch Gunnard for himself and his starving family. His agony is intensified by the proximity of Clem Henry, an African American sharecropper who confronts Arch for more rations in a seemingly fearless way when he and his family are in need. Lonnie's hesitance provides Arch Gunnard the opportunity to further terrorize Lonnie and possibly Clem Henry and the other sharecroppers who are present. Arch cuts off the tail of Lonnie's groveling dog with his jackknife, adding it to his large collection of tails. Overwhelmed by the abuse of his dog and his own fear, Lonnie fails to ask for more rations despite his father's assessment that the entire family will starve to death within three months without an increase in rations.
Late that evening, because of hunger, Mark Newsome, Lonnie's deaf father, wanders off in search of food. Lonnie and Clem discover Lonnie's father dead and partially devoured in the pen in which Arch Gunnard fattens his savage hogs. With difficulty, they extract what remains of the elder Newsome, and at Clem's urging, Lonnie wakes up Arch Gunnard and brings him to the hog pen. There, Clem courageously confronts Arch with the fact that Mark Newsome's death is directly due to Arch's starving of his sharecroppers, which prompts Arch to attack Clem, who resists. Arch goes for help from his white neighbors, and Clem hides in the nearby woods. Although Clem helped Lonnie find his father and confronted Arch about the skimpy rations that led to the elderly man's death, at the white mob's insistence, Lonnie not only tells where Clem has hidden but also joins in the search party. In fact, Lonnie is one of the most energetic searchers, although he does not participate in the actual murder of Clem.
Traumatized by the death of his father and by the murder of Clem and aware that his cowardice had significantly contributed to both, Lonnie trudges homeward, struggling to verbalize what he had never thought of before. However, when his wife asks about all the shooting, he tells her that nothing is the matter, and the story ends with his wife again asking him to obtain more rations from Arch Gunnard because Lonnie's father was going to be famished when he returned.
Bibliography
Arnold, Edwin T. Erskine Caldwell Reconsidered. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1990.
Cook, Sylvia Jenkins. Erskine Caldwell and the Fiction of Poverty: The Flesh and the Spirit. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1991.
Devlin, James E. Erskine Caldwell. Boston: Twayne, 1984.
Klevar, Harvey L. Erskine Caldwell: A Biography. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1993.
McDonald, Robert L., ed. The Critical Response to Erskine Caldwell. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997.
MacDonald, Scott, ed. Critical Essays on Erskine Caldwell. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1981.
Miller, Dan B. Erskine Caldwell: The Journey from Tobacco Road, a Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.
Silver, Andrew. "Laughing over Lost Causes: Erskine Caldwell's Quarrel with Southern Humor." The Mississippi Quarterly 50 (Winter, 1996/1997): 51-68.
Stevens, C. J. Storyteller: A Life of Erskine Caldwell. Phillips, Maine: John Wade, 2000.