The importance of land ownership has been an essential part of modern society because of the many assets and resources that can be acquired from it. For this reason, landowners have a distinct advantage over non-landowners when it comes to these resources. Not only can landowners use the land themselves, but they also grant others the opportunity to use their land for a percentage of production. This is called sharecropping. As William Faulkner's short story Barn Burn shows, it is land ownership and not ethnic origins that gives power to certain individuals. By controlling the livelihoods of individuals who live off the land, landowners place themselves in a more advanced social class than those who do not have land. In Charles Chesnutt's story The Goophered Grapevine, elements of class and race are evident throughout the story and even the title of the story imposes the African vernacular. However, race was not the only factor contributing to social class in the 1900s. In Barn Burning and The Goophered Grapevine, issues of land ownership evoke concerns of classism in a post-Civil War society; however, the characters' reactions to the landowners range from compliance to petty vengeance. In Faulkner's Barn Burning, issues of class appear in the story through the settings of the characters. For example, the main character's family, the Snopes, are sharecroppers and live in a very different environment than their boss (Major de Spain) who owns the land they farm. The Major de Spain's house is the first clear indicator of the economic differences present between the two families. When the main character, Sartoris Snopes, first discovers the house where Major de Spain lives, he is amazed. As stated in Barn Burning, "for every twelve movements they...... middle of paper ......e to them than a buzzing wasp" (Faulkner 804). It is through the earth that this power flows. Without land, Major de Spain would have less income and would therefore be less powerful. Likewise, Julius of The Goophered Grapevine was never able to gain ownership of the vineyard he lived on. Because of this, he was unable to prevent others from ruining his livelihood and ending up homeless. Faulkner and Chesnutt's use of land in their short stories adds a level of realism to the story and also helps depict the struggles between different economic classes.BibliographyChesnutt, Charles. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eighth edition. New York: WW Norton & Company Inc, 2012. 699-706. Print. Faulkner, William. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eighth edition. New York: WW Norton & Company Inc, 2012. 800-812. Print.