The natural world is often brought up in the narration of Sanctuary, setting the mood and tone of scenes. There are elements of the gothic genre in Faulkner’s natural descriptions, particularly those of the Old Frenchman place. Being on the outskirts of town, the landscape around it is wilder, just like the activities that take place there.

It is repeatedly mentioned that it is spring. The events of the book take place over the months of May and June 1929, and Benbow in particular is attuned to the season. He remarks on it frequently, and the renewal of the Earth seems to parallel in some ways the renewal Benbow feels he is experiencing by leaving his family and through working for no pay on Goodwin’s trial. Just after he loses the case in the car ride on the way home, he looks out the window and says, “‘It does last,’ Horace said. ‘Spring does. You’d almost think there was some purpose to it.’” (285), representing his loss of faith in this transformation.

It is significant that Temple and Gowan were supposed to be on their way to a baseball game, an outdoor event, when Gowan crashed the car.