W. Faulkner (1897-1962)

“Dry September”

First reading.
• What is the accusation against Will Mayes? Is there concrete proof to support this accusation?
• Why does the barber refuse to believe the accusation? Analyse his reasons carefully.
• Why are the men – and especially McLendon – so unwilling to consider the possibility of Mayes’s innocence?
• Why does the barber decide to go with the mob?
• What kind of life is Minnie leading at the time of the accusation?
• What do we learn about her younger life?
• Explain the sentence: “She was the last to realize she was losing ground.” What “truth” was she repudiating?
• Why do the townspeople say “Poor Minnie” after she is seen in the frequent company of the widower?
• What happened to Minnie after her relationship with the widower ended?
• Why does McLendon stop the men from killing Mayes immediately? What does he plan to do with Will’s body?
• How does the barber behave toward Will in the car?
• Why does not McLendon allow the barber to leave the car voluntarily?
• Does the barber fear for his life? Explain your answer.
• Why are Minnie’s friends paying her so much attention?
• What is different for Minnie about her walk to the movie theater that evening?
• What are her friends compared to? Do you think the comparison is an apt one?
• What does Minnie’s wild laughter tell us about her frame of mind?
• Why is McLendon angry at his wife for waiting up for him?
• Does he behave differently at home from the way he acts outside?
• What is the dominant image in the concluding sentence to the story?

Second reading.
• How is the barber described by the author?
• What is from your viewpoint the key word in this description? Comment upon the significance of this word.
• What image/atmosphere does the author create describing the setting and nature? Why do such lifeless words as “dead, to die, deadly, death, breathless” acquire symbolic meaning in the context of the story?
• How does McLendon’s portrait contribute to creation of this character?
• What are Faulkner’s means of characterisation: a portrait, speech, clothes? Will you comment upon some epithets used about McLendon: “hot, bold glance”, “heavy-set body”, “furious, rigid face”. • Why does the author describe Minnie's dresses and body so thoughby?
• The word “haggard” was used several times in her description: “haggard manner”, “haggard look”, “haggard face”. Did it acquire a specific significance in the context?
• What about the wordcombination her “haggard bright face” - can it be called an oxymoron or not?
• The first and the last sentences of the story are very important for understanding the theme of the story. Account for their importance.
• Why does the setting in this story play such an important role?
• What would happen to the story if we omitted all nature descriptions?
• How does the description of McLendon’s house contribute to creating his character and heightening the atmosphere of cruelty in general?