Social anxiety in "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright and, "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty.

According to the Social Anxiety Network, "Social anxiety is a fear of social situations and the interaction with other people." Put another way, social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression. People with social anxiety may know that their anxiety is irrational and does not make "head" sense. Nevertheless, "knowing" something is not the same thing as "believing" and "feeling" something. Social anxiety is a major factor in the stories: "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright and, "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty.

First, in William Faulkner's "Barn Burning," the main character in the story is a little boy named Colonel Sartoris. In this story, Sarty is faced with the decision of either going along with the views and actions of his morally challenged father or by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind. Sarty gains his freedom when he decides to warn the de Spains because his father's violation of his own sort of morality frees him from what he calls the "pull of blood," or duty to his family (Faulkner 356). Sarty believes he is prepared to defend his father at the trial: "He aims for me to lie, he thought, and I will have to do it," and he fights the boy twice his size who calls out, "Barn burner!"(Faulkner 349). He hopes that the fires will end, thinking, "Maybe he's done satisfied now," but when Abner begins to set ablaze his next barn, Sarty extinguishes the family ties (Faulkner 358). This violation liberates Sarty from the "the old blood which he [has] not been permitted to choose for himself" (Faulkner 356). The "pull of blood" is not strong enough to corrupt Sarty, to make him into what he seems destined to become. His father's offense and his own thoughtfulness lead Sarty to his decision to warn the de Spain's. Sartoris is an example of social anxiety because of the fear that he may become like his father.

Second, Eudora Welty's short story "A Worn Path" deals with a very elderly and frail black woman, Phoenix, and the hardships in her life. Phoenix makes a periodic journey into town to obtain medicine for her grandson. Phoenix has made this journey so many times that she can do it by a kind of interior radar, and thus her mind is free to wander while her feet stay on track. Inside of Phoenix is a lifetime of hardship, brought about partially by her role in society: she is an old black woman in a white world, and she is cast into an inferior position in a world that considers her unimportant. A hunter she meets treats her patronizingly, calling her "Granny" and says he knows "old colored people" go to town to see Santa Claus (Welty 868). Both the lady who ties her shoes for her and the first attendant at the clinic call her "Grandma" (Welty 869). The attendant rudely asks if she is deaf because Phoenix does not immediately reply to her questions, and from that point on, she treats Phoenix as if she is stupid. Phoenix's path is worn not only because she herself has had to travel it so many times, but because it symbolizes the path traveled by poor and oppressed people everywhere. Phoenix is an example of social anxiety because of the fear of her social status and her life situation.

Third, the story "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright uses symbolism to describe the true meaning of the story. Dave, the main character, is illustrated fumbling through life with frustration. Dave wants to gain the respect and power that he associates with manhood. In his quest to achieve such respect, Dave sees the men in the fields shooting their guns. He decides to purchase a gun and impress the men with his skill in handling the weapon. The gun, to Dave, symbolizes and represents manhood. Dave gets this weapon and has then has to pay restitution for murdering the mule. Dave, not ready to face this responsibility decides to run away. Dave has the power and manliness that he sees in the gun. As he makes his escape, Dave's stomach quivers while he has his hand on the gun and as he is about to jump on the train, "he grip[s] the gun tightly" (Wright 894). Finally, Dave jumps onto the train and, "he [feels] his pocket; the gun [is] still there" (Wright 894). Dave is an example of social anxiety because he relies so heavily on the gun to determine his position in society and the fear that people do not see him as a man.

Social anxiety is a characteristic that is easily described in stories because people can easily relate to the feelings. Social anxiety can be derived from family situations and a fear of the same fate. It can come from life situations and the fear of not making any accomplishments. Another possibility is that social anxiety is the result of how people feel about themselves or how people believe they are perceived by others. The short stories: "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner, "The Man Who Was Almost A Man" by Richard Wright and, "A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, all use social anxiety as a key factor for the main character.