Blood Burning Moon Themes

Words: 525
Pages: 3

Common themes examined in this novel about temptation and the wrath of God can be depicted in Fern, Blood Burning Moon, and Becky. In the story “Fern,” it relates to the struggles of a young African American woman whose beauty charmed the men of her community. Fern’s eyes attracted men to her. Her eyes said to men that “she was easy”, but this was untrue. She became uninvolved with men and “became a virgin”. The narrator is captivated by her beauty and asks her to go for a walk with him. As he puts his arms around her, “Her body was tortured with something it could not let out. Like boiling sap it flooded arms and fingers till she took them as if they burned her” (Toomer354). Consequently, after she was touched by him she began to convulse and later faints in the field. …show more content…
They are both in love with her and wanted her for themselves. The story began with women singing a song to ward off the ill omen of the full moon. Omens foreshadow events that could either be good or bad. One night Bob and Tom got into an altercation which ultimately led to Bob’s death after Tom slashed his throat. After the news broke out, Tom was tied up and burned at the stake by a mob of white men. The Moon was a primary image in the story and was depicted throughout the “Blood Burning Moon.” Louisa steps outside her house later that night and although she doesn’t hear the yelling of the mob, she does see the full moon. “The full moon in the great door was an omen which she must sing to” (Toomer363). The outcome can be a punishment for Louisa since she was having an affair with two men, which ultimately led her to losing both in the