"Go Down, Moses"

William Faulkner’s title of “Go Down, Moses,” for this short story describes the journey Samuel Worsham Beauchamp makes from Chicago to Jefferson, Mississippi. Samuel’s death corresponds with the oppression of Moses’ people in the spiritual “Go Down, Moses.” From what the reader knows, Samuel does not confess to killing the cop. In fact, he disputes the accusation and states, “No. It was another guy killed the cop” (369). Even though he denies the claims, he receives a death sentence. Faulkner’s Moses, Gavin Stevens, undertakes the burden of bringing Samuel’s body home. He urges the townspeople to contribute to the fee of properly returning Samuel’s body without fully appreciating the significance of his actions. Stevens is not the typical Moses figure. He cannot deliver Samuel from death, but he can provide comfort to those remaining, specifically Samuel’s grandmother.
Stevens acts as a bridge between the townspeople and Samuel’s family. The editor, specifically, contributes to bringing Samuel’s body home for the “novelty” of it, and even then it will only be “almost worth it” (378). Stevens shows a possible future of white and black relations by taking on Mollie Beauchamp’s demands. He recognizes Mollie’s need to find Samuel without completely understanding it. For example, Stevens thinks, “And that’s who I am to find, save, Stevens thought. Because he did not for one moment doubt the old Negress’ instinct” (372-373). The literal meaning behind the title and the story crops up when Mollie and others begin singing “Go Down, Moses” and the reader is told by Miss Worsham that “It’s our grief” (381). Most importantly, Stevens acts as a representation of Moses by giving the black population a voice. At the end of the story, he finally realizes the driving force behind Mollie’s desire to have Samuel’s body returned. He understands “she doesn’t care how he died. She just wanted him home, but she wanted him to come home right” (383).