Faulkner's technique in Go Down, Moses is to present stories whose full significance in the overall history of his characters is not apparent until later in the book. The book explores the history and development of the McCaslin family, which is descended from Carothers McCaslin and occupies the plantation he founded.

Was Go Down, Moses summary?

In this story, young Isaac McCaslin chases and kills his first deer, and gets a lesson about the spirit of the wilderness. Isaac learns how to hunt from Sam Fathers, the son of a Chickasaw chief and a slave woman. When Isaac turns eleven, he gets to join Sam and some other older men on their yearly hunting outing.

Where did the song Go Down, Moses come from?

“Go Down Moses“ is believed to have been written around 1800 by slaves inspired by the biblical story of the Jews' liberation from slavery in Egypt. How the song became part of Passover is a story of cultures with parallel and intersecting histories.