Faulkner's "Dry September"

Paper Summary:

This paper suggests that the story is about societal abandonment of character Minnie Cooper and her feelings about her womanhood, rather than the murder of Will Mayes. The author points out that the story presents Faulkner's criticism of societal power systems based on gender. The paper relates that Faulkner uses words like "lifeless", "breathless", and "dry" to represent the lost value of Miss Minnie's social presence because her sexual life is "dry" or dead.

From the Paper:

"Faulkner is venturing into Minnie's drive and motive behind being so unfair to Will Mayes. He is exploring her desperation, which she must feel that turns her into a villain and makes her go to such extreme. Her desire of being accepted surpasses her morality. The society has pushed her so much that she finds it hard to accept herself and what the society thinks about her. When her friend's children call her "aunty" she objects and insists on being called cousin. She wants to change their impression of her and in doing so she wants to be liked by them so that she may accept who she is, and what she has or does not have. Just like Will Mayes was murdered in spite of his innocence, Minnie is ousted from the society for no fault of her own."

More papers on Faulkner's "Dry September":

• Analytical Essay # 149024 : "Literary Techniques in Faulkner's Short Stories"
• Analytical Essay # 32077 : "Women in Faulkner"
• Essay # 93967 : "The Works of William Faulkner"

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