Underlying meanings to Faulkner's works

William Faulkner’s writings may seem like ramblings, too tedious to read, or complete nonsense to some. But, I’ve found that after I’ve dug through all the rubble and got down to the storyline, I actually like Faulkner’s writings. I particularly enjoyed “Barn Burning”, so I am doing another blog on Faulkner.

One of the interesting things I found about Faulkner’s writings is his overuse of a particular phrase or idea. In “Barn Burning”, there were several of these instances. For example, in the first paragraph there is a long description of the cheese: “The boy… knew he smelled cheese…- this, the cheese which he knew he smelled…” (p.161) Then, towards the end of this short story there is another reference to the cheese: “he watched his father emerge from the store and produce from a paper sack a segment of cheese.” (p.172) Another phrase he used several times was “without heat.” On page 163, he talks about this in reference to the mules. “His father mounted to the seat where the older brother already sat and struck the gaunt mules with two savage blows with the peeled will, but without heat.” This phrase is used again a few pages later: “His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of the head, hard but without heat.” (p. 164). A few lines later, it was used again. “…any stick in order to kill a horse fly, his voice still without heat or anger.” I think the overuse of this particular phrase shows Abner Snopes character. Abner Snopes is controlling and feels superior to many other characters in the story. I think this phrase shows that Abner doesn’t do things to be mean. I think it’s his demand for respect. (Just to follow up on this remark, in Faulkner’s other short story, “An Odor of Verbena”, I noticed he used the 3 years Bayard had been in college as a steady time frame.)


The beginning of this short story was a little confusing. He mentions a young boy in a courtroom and there is a long reference to cheese. I thought to myself, what do the two have to do with each other? To me, that was a weird correlation. After reading the entire piece, I realized the underlying meaning to this long, wordy passage. (It is a reference to the social status of the family.)

Sarty faces a few dilemmas in this short story. His big dilemma in this story is his loyalty to his family vs. his loyalty to moral justice and all that is right. I think Faulkner puts a lot of emphasis on this point. I think it’s a valid point because it made me think of what I would have done in his position. The ways of your family is one of the first things you learn. Whether what your family is doing is right or wrong, the morals created by them are embedded in your head. As you encounter other people and other aspects of society, you come to realize that other people have other values and morals, some which may be different than yours. A younger Sarty may have seen his father as a hero or invincible. But as he grew up and began to develop his own ideas, he begins to realize that his father may not be right. This is a strong dilemma. Think about turning against your family. It’s hard to imagine. Another dilemma Sarty faces may seem less important. Abner Snopes was charged 20 bushels for his barn burning. Sarty knows that his father’s burning was wrong, but on the other hand, he believed that the 20 bushels was an excessive punishment. Here he is looking for middle ground.

Faulkner's writings make you reflect on your own life. What would you do in each character's position? Would you get the same outcome?

"Dry September" not so dry

William Faulkner's "Dry September" is somewhat of a confusing title. Upon reading the first paragraph, we realize that 'dry' refers to the consistent southern heat. But as we continue to read, we realize that there is so much going on in this story. Just in the beginning paragraphs we get great, lengthy descriptions of the town and the people. Faulkner puts much effort into his descriptions. Reading his story, I got a vivid image of the heat that surrounded the people and the town.

I think the heat plays a very important role in this story. These people have gone for over sixty days with no rain. All these people were focused on the heat, that is until the story of Willie Mayes made its way around town. I think the heat and the weather are parallels in this story. The heat and Willie Mayes' accusation surrounded the people.

This story is typical of small town life. Generally, there is little excitement in a small town, but when there is, people jump on it. As Faulkner described, the rumor spread "like a fire in dry grass." Gossip and rumors are usually the focus of small town life. (I know this from experience!!)

One thing I noticed about this story is we never witness Willie Mayes' death. There is much hype and drama leading up to it, but it never happens. In the end, the focus is turned back to Minnie Cooper and we don't hear about Willie Mayes. I think Faulkner did this to focus on the circumstances surrounding the death of Willie Mayes: the accusation, the threatening, the torturing, and the reactions of the people. I think Faulkner left out the actual death so we realize that it is much more than hanging the person.

Chopin incorporates vivid images

Kate Chopin’s works are different than anything we’ve read thus far. Even though we’ve seen differences in class status in previous works, we’ve mostly only seem class status as related to slavery and racism. Chopin’s work focuses on different class types: the Creoles and the Cadians.

I have to agree that the plot of “At the Cadian Ball” was lacking, and it was almost boring. Although the essay didn’t have much of a story, the descriptions Chopin presented made up for this. She has in depth descriptions of the people, the places, and the activities that were common to Southern Louisiana. She describes Calixta as a “little Spanish vixen”, her eyes as “the bluest, the drowsiest, most tantalizing that ever looked into a man’s”, “her flaxen hair that kinked worse than a mulatto’s.” Chopin puts effort into describing the tornado: “the cyclone came that cut into the rice like fine steel.” There were many more descriptions.

My point is that Chopin put effort into her descriptions rather than her plot. I’m not saying that Chopin is incapable of creating an elaborate story. “The Storm” proves this theory wrong. I think the point of her story was to show her appreciation of the south.

“The Storm” almost seems to be written by a different author. This essay has a more exciting plot, but with the same attention to the details. Chopin includes what would be considered a ‘racy’ adulterous affair in the same detail she used in “At the Cadian Ball.” Her face was “warm and steaming.” “When he touched her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering ecstasy, inviting his lips.” These are some vivid details.

I think the essay has such importance, especially for that time. Affairs and adultery are not socially acceptable, and for an author to write such a lucid description of one, was most likely unheard of. It exposes the constraints that marriages have, and the sexual desires that both men and women have.

It seems that Chopin incorporates romance and sexual topics in many of her works. As we examined with Edgar Allen Poe, maybe events in Chopin's life encouraged her to include these topics.