Temple Drake Book Of Sanctuary Analysis

The story of Temple Drake, a young southern girl within the town of Memphis is the image of purity and sainthood that is corrupted by a dramatic event of the “corncob rape” followed by the slow creep into insanity or could be view as a release from the restrains of Southern society norms at the time. The idea that William Faulkner tries to show within his book of Sanctuary is the original sin that lives in all of us as humans. We as humans are easily corruptible and fall into the darkness of society when called to do such actions or planted in the wrong environments. The human heart is always at conflict with itself and ultimately if given the chance, the darkness of our human hearts will win. Temple Drake was one of those individuals that …show more content…
Temple was too corrupted by this time and wanted to play with rough men. She was eager in the idea of being corrupted by the new society that she had found and the violence that came along with it, but she also feared it but the fun of the environment was too much for her so she went along with it. Throughout the night that she was being harassed by the strange men and that Gowen was beaten up badly, Temple is hiding under her covers in the bed of the lockless room. The idea that she believes that the blanket can protect her is interesting and shows that she is still a child at heart. The next morning, marks the complete downfall of Temple Drake. She awakes to find that Gowen had abandoned her and heads out to the forest to relieve herself. Goodwin is spying on her while she is relieving herself and then follows her into the barn after she sees him and flees, where Popeye shoots Tommy. This is the climax of the story for the Sanctuary. All three men of doom within the book are all gathered within one area. Popeye, the killer, Goodwin, the rapist, and Tommy, the man who died for Temple’s games. All three of these men will be hurt or killed by the end of the book because Temple violations of social …show more content…
The social norms during this time were to “protect” females from men like Popeye and Goodwin. Temple Drake wanted to have fun and played her games with the wrong crowd of grown men and within their own environment. She would unlimitedly pay the price and become the victim of rape. She will slowly creep into insanity from the events that happen to her, the murder and rape being them. The release from the social norms were taken from Temple after these events and she becomes freed in a form that her human heart does not need to continue to have a conflict within it. Her path was decided for her by Popeye and Goodwin but only because she loved to play around in the wrong places and with the wrong people. The heart of Temple Drake had too many dark ideas and desires which ended with her falling into the