Dry September Summary

Published in 1931, “Dry September” is a prime example of Faulkner’s work. As a Southern author, born and raised in Mississippi and taught primarily by an African American nanny, his writing reflects this unique perspective. The ambiguous writing style for which he is commonly known is used in this particular work to outline the difference between whites and blacks in the south. Faulkner uses several of his main characters, including Will Mayes, John McLendon, Minnie Cooper and Hawkshaw, to prove that any one reader could find themselves in the position of at least two of the four characters. In this work, anyone could be anyone. “Dry September” tells the story of Ms. Minnie Cooper, a white woman around the age of forty, who has accused an African American man by the name of Will Mayes of raping her. This is merely the backstory, however. Broken down into five parts, the active plot deals with the aftermath of her accusation. This begins with Part I in the barbershop where several men are discussing the rumor. Hawk, a barber working in the shop, is adamant that they should wait to do anything about it until they know for sure that Will Mayes is …show more content…
Something isn’t quite right with this story. Her preference of being called “cousin” rather than “aunty” (442) highlights the main feature of her character. Faulkner goes into great detail about her daily routines, describing her hourly excursions onto the porch, exactly what time she went inside the house, the types of dresses she wore, when she went into town, and even mentioning that she argued with the store clerks over prices but then never bought anything. They were her “idle and empty days”. (442) The parts concerning Minnie Cooper are hardly anything but descriptions of her and her lifestyle. This contrasts deeply with the man she accuses of raping