Dry September Themes
What is the significance of dry September?
“Dry September” refers to a month at the end of a summer in which there has been little rain. One of the characters states that the weather is enough to make a man do anything which suggests that the dry, hot summer has a role in the supposed crime and the events that happen during the story.
How is the conclusion of Faulkner’s dry September a devastating critique of the South?
He is murdered by a group of white men with no trial. The reason this story is a devastating critique of the culture of the American South is because it describes an instance that occurred often in real life of vigilante whites murdering blacks for no reason.
What does Hawkshaw say that is ignored in dry September?
Now that it’s a public rumor, Will needs to be turned into an example. Hawkshaw says they need more information. He is largely ignored. McLendon, who has a gun, succeeds in getting all the men to go with him to find Will.
The opening line of the story also acts as foreshadowing to the eventual killing of Will Mayes, Faulkner using the word ‘bloody’ to describe the September twilight. Also in section three of the story Faulkner again describes the air, though this time uses the word ‘lifeless.
What does the moon suggest in the short story dry September?
The “hemorrhage” of the moon intensifies the mob’s rushing to capture Will; when they force him into the car, their breathing is described as “a dry hissing,” an image linked to the sound a snake makes. The men have become poisonous creatures, influenced by the malevolent weather.
When and where did the dry September get published?
“Dry September” was first published in Scribner’s Magazine in January 1931, and later that year it was republished in Faulkner’s short story collection These 13. The theme of rape in “Dry September” is also central to Faulkner’s novel Sanctuary, which appeared in 1931 as well.
Who is the writer of dry September?
William Faulkner
What was the barbers name in dry September?
The barber, Henry Hawkshaw, attempts to convince the other men that Mayes is innocent, but the others angrily argue that a white woman must be telling the truth. The war hero John McLendon enters the shop, a gun protruding from his pocket, to round up a group of men to find Mayes.
What had gone like a fire in dry grass in the Short Story Dry September?
Through the bloody September twilight, aftermath of sixty-two rainless days, it had gone like a fire in dry grass—the rumor, the story, whatever it was.
Who is the main character in dry September?
Minnie Cooper can probably be considered the main character in William Faulkner’s short story “Dry September.” She is 38 or 39 years old and lives alone with her disabled mother and elderly aunt.
How does Faulkner portray Southern weather and its impact on human Behaviour in dry September?
Faulkner uses metaphors of heat and combustion to convey the irrationality of the mob mentality among the white men in “Dry September.” The town has experienced sixty-two days of drought, and the weather becomes an excuse for inappropriate behavior: “It’s this durn weather […]
What does dust symbolize in the story dry September?
Throughout the section, “dust” serves as an image of suffocation and death. Having not rained for sixty-two days, the dust lay heavy on the road and in the air in September, kicking up as the mob races to their spot of execution.
Who is the antagonist in dry?
John McLendon
What happens at the end of dry September?
The ending line reinforces the idea we have seen throughout “Dry September” of a cold, lonely, and unjust world. The final lines call on that sense by communicating the distance between the diseased world (of which Jefferson is only a microcosm) and the celestial, natural world of the moon and stars.
Why does Hawkshaw jump from the car in dry September?
Hawkshaw doesn’t seem to have an alternative plan to save Will. Without such a plan, he might believe that if he stays in the car, he will become more and more implicated in the crimes against Will. This might be why he steps out.
How many characters are in dry September?
For further investigating the relationship between narration and characterization, this paper tries to uncover the real nature of the three main characters Hawkshaw, McLendon, and Minnie Cooper by following their movements in space and observing the features of their living space.
Who is McLendon in dry September?
McLendon is a vigilante, and the story’s most obvious villain. His gun, hat, handcuffs, and experience as a military commander give him a general air of authority. As we discuss in Will’s “Character Analysis,” McLendon pulls off an extralegal operation, or a mock trial and sentencing.
Who is Hawkshaw in dry September?
Henry Hawkshaw, also known as Hawk, is one of the barbers of Jefferson, a mild-mannered white man. The barber shop is one of the central gathering places for men in the town, and “Dry September” opens with Hawkshaw discussing the rumors about Minnie Cooper and Will Mayes with his fellow barbers and their customers.
