Dry September
In the short story “Dry September,” William Faulkner addresses the problem of racism in the South in the post-World War I & post-Civil War years. In addition to the sociological problems addressed in the story, Faulkner creates a unique setting in which the weather reflects the attitudes of the main characters. The title of this story emphasizes the hot, dry weather. The title could also prove that the weather is of central importance. From the barbershop, to Minnie’s bedroom, and to the theater, the setting is amazingly rich in “Dry September”.
In the first scene we find out that there has been “sixty-two rainless days” (395). We also discover that within the barbershop the “ceiling fan stirred, without freshening it, the vitiated air, sending back upon them” (395). So the weather is obviously very hot and uncomfortable. But the people of the barbershop also have similar characteristics. They are “hot” because of the supposed rape of a white woman, yet many are “uncomfortable.” For example, when McLendon was recruiting members for his little gang, some of the recruits were “uncomfortable, not looking at one another, then one by one they rose and joined him” (397). They are uncomfortable because they know it is morally wrong, yet they know they must do so to conform.
Notice how each of the story 's five parts feature a distinct movement as the characters travel through the various settings of the story. The barbershop featured in Section 1 is a good example. The relative privacy of the place, mixed with the heat, the shaving-product smells, the sweat, and the stale air, combine with a week 's worth of frustrations to create a warm place for the rumor to grow and feed. For McLendon, the rumor has already reached its full-blown monster stage. For him, the barbershop is a recruiting station. His presence clears the room. When the scene began the shop was packed with voices and violent energy. At the end of the scene the shop has transformed into a quiet
In the first scene we find out that there has been “sixty-two rainless days” (395). We also discover that within the barbershop the “ceiling fan stirred, without freshening it, the vitiated air, sending back upon them” (395). So the weather is obviously very hot and uncomfortable. But the people of the barbershop also have similar characteristics. They are “hot” because of the supposed rape of a white woman, yet many are “uncomfortable.” For example, when McLendon was recruiting members for his little gang, some of the recruits were “uncomfortable, not looking at one another, then one by one they rose and joined him” (397). They are uncomfortable because they know it is morally wrong, yet they know they must do so to conform.
Notice how each of the story 's five parts feature a distinct movement as the characters travel through the various settings of the story. The barbershop featured in Section 1 is a good example. The relative privacy of the place, mixed with the heat, the shaving-product smells, the sweat, and the stale air, combine with a week 's worth of frustrations to create a warm place for the rumor to grow and feed. For McLendon, the rumor has already reached its full-blown monster stage. For him, the barbershop is a recruiting station. His presence clears the room. When the scene began the shop was packed with voices and violent energy. At the end of the scene the shop has transformed into a quiet
Cited: Faulkner, William. “Dry September.” Short Fiction Classic & Contemporary. Sixth Edition. Ed. Charles Bohner and Grant Lyman. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Person Education, 2006. 709-719. Print.