Emily Grierson, “A Rose for Emily”
The title character in this story is not just one of Faulkner’s best-known characters, but one of the most famous characters in American literature. Her recent death and the secrets and mysteries her demise unveil for the gossipy townspeople is at the center of the narrative, but she is far more important and interesting as a metaphor for the crumbling of the Old South following the Civil War.
Sarty, “Barn Burning”
Running a close second to Miss Emily as arguably the most well-known character of Faulkner’s short stories is the young son of the arsonist which gives this famous story its title. In a battle of wills between his father and pretty much everyone else, the contest is for the heart and soul of Sarty. Will he commit to the kind of blind allegiance which has doomed his Dixie or will he find the courage to stand for justice rather than heritage?
Miss Minnie Cooper, “Dry September”
Unwittingly cursed with a name that would one day stimulate automotive connections in the minds of some readers, Minnie Cooper is a product of her era; a white pathos-inspired spinster at the ripe old age of around 40. Amongst the dry September leaves, she ignites a flame which will soon be fanned into a conflagration by staking a dangerous claim of a sexual attack against her by a black man named Will Mayes.
Isaac McCaslin (Uncle Ike), “Race at Morning”
Isaac McCaslin is not at the center of the narrative of this story, but he is representative of the way in which Faulkner populates his fictional Mississippi county with characters who recur in non-chronological order across stories representing a broad period of time. In this particular example, for instance, what is a minor (though high respected) older character in this story becomes not just a major character in Go Down Moses, but a major character existing in both younger and older versions.
Nancy, “That Evening Sun”
Nancy is one of Faulkner’s most fascinating characters, especially within that group who do not belong to his more famous list of those that recur throughout his body of work. Nancy is positively phobic about the dark which is aggravated by the fear that her estranged husband Jesus is certain to return with murder on his mind. She is dealing with drug addiction, financial deprivation which has turned her to prostitution, an affair with a church deacon who also happens to be the town’s banker and on top of everything else, she is black and taking temporary work as a maid with the wealthy Compson clan.
