Rosa Millard In The Unvanquished

In William Faulkner’s The Unvanquished, Rosa Millard has a few defining moments in which she expresses her true values and characteristics. Her decision to confront Grumby is her most significant defining moment because Millard uncovers more hidden characteristics in this moment than her others. Rosa Millard's decision to scam Grumby reveals her stubbornness, misjudgment of character, and guilty conscience. Foremost, Millard reveals her stubbornness. As soon as Ab Snopes, Millard’s partner-in-crime, convinces the old woman to scam Grumby, a cowardly ex-Confederate, she becomes headstrong in doing so. Ringo and Bayard repetitively advise her not to go, but Millard does not listen. Every time the boys try to convince her not to meet with Grumby, the old lady stubbornly replies with the same answer: “the horses did not belong to them” (Faulkner, 151). This happens a total of three times. On the way to Grumby’s place, Bayard even tries to physically hold her back, but he eventually gives up because Millard would not change her mind. Once the old lady sets her mind to something, the chances of her changing her mind are the same as the chances of getting struck by lightning. …show more content…
She believes all southern men follow a code not to hurt a women, including Grumby. This belief boosts Millard’s confidence in confronting the ex-Confederate; she thinks she will not get hurt. The old lady says, “I am taking no risk: I am a woman. Even Yankees do not harm old women” (Faulkner, 153). Millard misinterprets Grumby’s morals, which causes her to misjudge his character. Also, the old woman misinterprets Ab Snopes’s character. Snopes is a trickster who falsely assures Millard that Grumby will not harm her; she sees him only as a loyal, trustworthy gentleman, even after Ringo tells her that Snopes had betrayed her. Overall, the old woman’s defining moment shows her lack of reading people’s true