The importance of land ownership has been a vital part of modern society due to the many assets and resources that can be acquired from it. For this reason, when it comes to these resources, landowners have a distinct advantage over non-landowners. Not only can landowners use the land themselves, but they allow others the ability to use their land for a percentage of the product. This is known as sharecropping. As seen in William Faulkner's short story, Barn Burn, it is ownership of land 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 without land. In Charles Chesnutt's short story The Goophered Grapevine, elements of class and race show throughout the story and even the title of the story imposes the African vernacular. Race, however, was not the only factor contributing to class in 1900. In both 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 acquiescence to petty revenge. In Faulkner's Barn Burning, class issues make their appearance in the story through the characters' settings. For example, the main character's family, the Snopes, are sharecroppers and live in environments very different from those of their leader (Major de Spain) who owns the land they farm. Major de Spain's house is the first clear indicator of the economic differences between the two families. When the main character, Sartoris Snopes, first comes across the house where Major de Spain lives, he is astounded. As stated in Barn Burning, “throughout the twelve movements, they…half the paper…are more to them than a buzzing wasp” (Faulkner 804). It is through the land that this power is derived. Without land, the major of Spain would have less income and would therefore be less powerful. Similarly, Julius from The Goophered Grapevine was never able to own the vineyard he lived in. Because of this, he was unable to prevent others from potentially ruining his livelihood and becoming homeless. Both Faulkner and Chesnutt's use of land in their tales add a level of realism to the story and also help describe the struggles between different economic classes. Bibliography Chesnutt, 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. Press.