The Bear: A Bildungsroman

Well, I cannot say I am sad to be finishing our discussions on The Bear.  Although I did not enjoy this work very much, I did admire Ike’s coming of age experience.  Amidst all the hunting, lineages, and chaos of Faulkner’s style of writing, I was intrigued by Ike’s decision to renounce his inheritance.  This was interesting to me for two reasons: 1.) Ike has already been an orphan for large part of his life and by renouncing his inheritance he is, in a sense, renouncing a part of the family ties that are still accessible to him.  2.) The reason Ike renounces his legacy is because of the tainted past of his grandfather, which he does not agree with and does not want to be tied to.  This impressed me because a past is a past because it is done and over with.  Whether Ike renounces his inheritance or not, his the past of his family will not change and people will not forget.  In this case, it seems that taking the inheritance and living more comfortably would be the popular choice, but Ike seems to choose what he believes will give him freedom and fulfillment.