4th SEM
HONS, CEH 10: AMERICAN LITERATURE
TOPIC: Critical
Analysis of DRY SEPTEMBER by William Faulkner
As a Southern writer, Faulkner draws upon
the mores and prejudices of his own regional culture to create unforgettable
characters and settings for his novels and short stories. "Dry
September" clearly shows the horrible miscarriages of justice that
prejudice can cause. Although the story revolves around the killing of Will
Mayes, the actual act of killing is omitted in order to keep our attention
focused on the causes of the violence, and on the mental and physical
atmospheres that breed such senseless and random acts of cruelty.
First published in the January 1931
edition of Scribner's Magazine, "Dry September" was
reprinted in Faulkner's Collected Stories (1950) and in
the Selected Short Stories of William Faulkner (1961). This
powerful study of a cultural mentality that promotes rash, swift killings of
black men is based on the Southern White Goddess concept. To understand fully
the themes and setting of the story, we need to have some knowledge of this
White Goddess concept, which applies not only to "Dry September," but
also to any Southern story dealing with womanhood and rape, including
Faulkner's Light in August and Harper Lee's popular To
Kill a Mockingbird.
In its simplest form, the White Goddess
concept refers to any "lily-white" Southern woman, who is raised in a
society that protects her from any unpleasantries. Because she is white, the
culture sets her atop a mythical pedestal, creating an imaginary, protective
shield through which the Southern aristocracy lets nothing pass that might
endanger — both physically and emotionally — its women. While the Southern
white male will allow a woman to tell "white lies" about insignificant
matters, he believes sincerely that a Southern lady could never tell lie; even
if she did, a Southern gentleman would never confront her with the lie.
Psychologically, this complete respect to a woman's integrity is based on the
belief that she could never be attracted to a black man; consequently, she
would never lie about such a matter.
"Dry September," short though it
may be, addresses many aspects of this Southern culture. Rather than emphasize
the violence of Will Mayes' death, the story focuses on the causes leading up
to that violence and the mentality that breeds such monstrous behavior. Closely
related to this sadism is a sense of insecurity. For example, John McLendon,
the leader of the murderous mob, might be skilled in killing defenseless
blacks, but he is anything but successful in his private life. He physically
abuses his wife, and his house is described as "a birdcage and almost as
small . . ." Unable to face personal failure, he turns to various acts of
sadism, whether they be against Will Mayes or his passive, mothering wife.
Faulkner treats many of his characters as
victims of various societal forces. Of course, Will Mayes is the most obvious
victim. The only character who evokes our complete sympathy, he does nothing to
make us believe that he is guilty of raping his accuser, Miss Minnie Cooper.
But Miss Minnie is also a victim, a victim of her own sexual frustration. She
is driven to desperation by her "idle and empty days": She has no
occupation, no social position, and no intellectual interests. Trapped by her
advancing age, she fantasizes, hoping that the mere hint of rape will prove her
still sexually desirable. McLendon is also somewhat a victim as his problem stems from an
insecurity that he compensates for with violent actions. Note that every
description of McLendon emphasizes his violence: His face is
"furious," and his movements are described as violent and barely
under his control. After striking his wife, he tears through the house
"ripping off his shirt" and then hunting "furiously" for
it.
The story is divided into five sections:
Sections I and III show the town's reaction to the rumor that Miss Minnie, a
spinster, has been attacked by Will Mayes, a black man; Parts II and IV
familiarize us with Miss Minnie's history and give us an inside view of her
emotional state; and Section V provides us with a glimpse of McLendon's home
life and his rebellious tyranny over his wife. The important themes discussed
in the short story are prejudice, racial discrimination, position of women in
the society and women protocol. It is a story that ventures the dark side of
human life which as the title suggest is like a dry September where everything
is dying or death.
