Similar Style in "dry September" and "signs and Symbols"

Without the presence of author's such as William Faulkner and Vladimir Nabokov in fictional literature, readers imaginations would remain inactive. These authors conceal information regarding their stories major conflicts to encourage readers to find the meaning that governs their text. "Dry September" by William Faulkner is a story about a black man who is accused of raping a miserable middle-aged white woman, Miss Minnie Cooper. Set in a a rural southern town in the 1930s, where racism is at its peak, Faulkner gives prominence to the lack of justice available for an African American following such an accusation. "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov centers on an elderly Russian couple who's son is incurably deranged and lives in a mental hospital. Upon arriving to the hospital for a routine 'celebration' of their sons birthday, the couple learns that their son has attempted to take his own life. Deeply wounded by this news, the couple devises a plan to remove the boy from the hospital into their safer home environment; only to be interrupted by mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night, leaving readers with only an inkling as to their seriousness. Though Faulkner and Nabokov emphasize different themes, both use a similar style and structure to focus on their underlying themes.

Faulkner and Nabokov's suggestive, open-ended style demands the reader to do more. Faulkner imposes this responsibility on the readers by refusing to provide easy answers to the questions that the story raises. The most obvious of these

Cressey 2

questions being: what happened to Will Mayes? A conversation among the men reveals the violence intended for Mayes:

"Sure, sure," the soldier said. "We're just going to talk to him a little; that's all." "Talk hell!" Butch said. "When we're through with the-" "Shut up, for God's sake!" the soldier said. "Do you want everybody in town-" "Tell them, by God!" McLendon said. "Tell every one of the sons that'll let a white woman-"(531).

Providing only clues of the fate of Will Mayes appoints the readers as active 'solvers', creating their own interpretation of the ending. Similar to Faulkner's style, Nabakov uses an open-ended narrative, influencing readers to dissect his suggestive dialogue to form their own explicit conclusion. Readers are left questioning: what is the significance of the phone call at the end of the story? When the mother shares the details of the phone call with her husband, "He smiled a quick smile and immediately resumed his excited monologue" even though she said, "it frightened me"(1169). Nabokov describes how "The receiver was gently cradled. Her hand went to her old tired heart"(1169). The telephone serves as a metaphysical device; a bridge between fiction and reality. The reader is plunged into the literary world to make assumptions about the fate of the call. In both stories the withheld fate is in the authors control, and is intended to provoke thought and activeness in the reader.

Cressey 3

Faulkner purposefully blurs the nature and origin of the accusations to emphasize the irrational decisions of the men; furthermore contributing to the theme that: 'racism clouds good judgement.' Both authors focus on the current

attitude and mentality of their specific time. Faulkner's use of the words 'nigger' and 'niggerlover' is one method he uses to stress the degree of racism in the story. The attitude of the men towards Will Mayes is another historical reality; one of the angry young men argues "Wont you take a white woman's word before a nigger's?"(527). The unjustifiable behavior of these white men correlates with their town's obligation to uphold the 'White Goddess Concept'. This idea protects a white woman from any unpleasantness. The men place a protective shield around these women and believe they can tell nothing but the truth. Faulkner highlights the unparalleled justice received by Miss Minnie Cooper in comparison to Will Mayes at the beginning of the story when he notes, "The rumor, the story, whatever it was. Something about Miss Minnie Cooper and a Negro"(527). In reaction to this "rumor" many of the men act on behalf of Miss Cooper without hesitation. When one of the men question the accuracy of the accusation, McLendon(primary antagonist) fires back, "Happen? What the hell difference does it make? Are you gong to let the black sons get away with it until one really does it?"(528). Evidence that also supports the lack of justice Mayes receives is found in a conversation among Miss Minnie Cooper's friends: "Then to one another: "Do you suppose anything really happened?" their eyes darkly aglitter, secret and passionate. "Shhhhhhhhhh! Poor girl! Poor Minnie!"(534). Accentuating the difference in

Cressey 4

the social standing of Miss Cooper vs. Will Mayes, brings the reader into a deeper understanding of the cruelty Mayes defenselessly succumbs too.

Nabokov's reliance on innuendo regarding the plot, serves as a

...