The major premise of William Faulkner’s short story “Dry September” revolves around the question of whether or not Will Mayes, a black man, raped Minnie Cooper, a white woman. This question is never really answered, at least not outright, and I, at least, was unable to deduce the truth from the context. The way I look at it, Mayes could have raped her, or Miss Minnie could be lying, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter either way.
In the first scene of the story, several men are discussing what has happened in a barbershop. One of the barbers defends Willie Mayes, saying “I know Willie Mayes,” and claiming that Willie is a good man who wouldn’t hurt anyone. The other men in the shop disagree, calling the barber a “niggerlover” simply because he wants to collect the facts before making any judgments. One man, an ex-soldier known as McLendon, joins the discussion and is outraged by the barber’ “niggerloving.” McLendon hurls accusations as the barber and it is implied that McLendon challenges the barber to a duel outside. McLendon is incensed by even the thought of giving Willie Mayes the benefit of a doubt or the chance to prove himself. While the barber believes in Mayes’ innocence, or at least his right to proven himself so, McLendon has already convicted Mayes in his mind; Mayes is guilty not matter what. These two men represent opposite ends of the spectrum of beliefs in the town, two extremes. While most people believe Miss Minne’s story that Mayes raped her, several times throughout the story it has been suggested that she has maybe made it all up. One of her old classmates and friends ask another woman “Do you suppose anything really happened?” There is always an element of doubt lingering the air, though most people, like McLendon, are quick to judge Mayes harshly because of the color of his skin.
One of the scenes, when taken a certain way, may add credence to the idea that Miss Minnie Cooper made her rape story up. One night after the story has circulated town, Minnie and her friends go to the movies, but before the show even begins Minnie begins to laugh uncontrollably, continuing all through the night. Nothing can stop her, and it appears that she has lost her mind. These hysterics seem to suggest that there is something nor right about Miss Minnie; something is driving her to insanity. It is possible that the rape has sent her over the edge, but, to me, it seems more likely that she is hiding something, and the guilt of lying is eating away at her. It is also peculiar that she is laughing. This might suggest that she thinks it is funny that she has fooled the town with her story, or that she finds the attention on the wrong rapist amusing in a sick and twisted way.
In the end, it does not matter whether Willie Mayes raped Miss Minnie or not. “Dry September” is less about this incident and more about the nature of people and racism in the South. Miss Minnie is an example of fading old money, a spinster who is “forced into” adultery. Willie Mayes is a black man, but not matter how a good a man he is, how kind and honest, he is still persecuted for a crime he may not have committed. The final scene, where McLendon comes home late, suggests that something sinister has happened, and the reader is left with the sense that Willie Mayes has paid his dues, time after time, done his sentence, but committed no crime.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think the question of whether Will Mayes did or did not commit this crime is given by the very first paragraph of the story. The first sentence, "Through the bloody September twilight, aftermath of sixty-two rainless days, it had gone like a fire in a dry grass", is describing the setting which tells the reader something very important, rather secretively; that this is a story about destroying something that was already destroyed. The next sentence gives the reader that object to which we associate the destroyed characteristics to, Miss Minnie. The way Faulkner feels about this rumor going around town is that it is like "the ceiling fan" going around and around. This story continues "in reccurent surges of stale[ness]" and never changes nor develops from that which is true. This also points to a theme Faulkner really focused on in Light in August, that to every story there is always fiction. Because the first paragraph provides so much support for the innocence of Will Mayes in this case I would suggest that there is a much larger issue here, one that needs to be dissected by the reader. This story is intentionally concerned with Will Mayes.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that the story is concerned with Will and his, what I gathered, innocence. Faulkner seems to really pain McLendon in such a way as it seems like, he is overreactive and violent, and Will Mayes caught the brunt of this, and likley died because of it. I think the story is defintely skewed in favor of Will Mayes.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter whether Will raped Minnie, or didn't rape Minnie, or made Minnie a six-layer birthday cake with strawberry icing. All that matters is the sanctity of the White Woman, abstracted from Minnie as it may be (helpfully so, since she's kind of a dud), and the culpability of the Black Man. Given these two constants, and a specific condition of the variable (heat!), the solution to the equation is wanton violence.
ReplyDelete