Racial Violence and the Fragmentation of Identity in Dry September: A Critical Analysis of William Faulkner's Short Story

This Paper examines the theme of racial violence and its impact on the fragmentation of identity in William Faulkner’s shorty story “Dry September.”1 Through a critical analysis of the narrative, the study explores how Faulkner’s portrayal of racial violence reflects the societal attitudes toward race in the 1930s American South. Racial violence has been a pervasive issue throughout American history, particularly in the south. Faulkner’s “Dry September” provides a unique lens through which to examine the impact of racial violence on the human identity. The study seeks to address the following research problem: How does Faulkner’s depiction of racial violence in “Dry September” reflect the racial ideologies of the time, and in what ways does it contributes to the characters’ fractured identities? The paper particularly focuses on the character of John McLendon, who embodies the fragmented identity of the white southern male - torn between communal loyalty and personal moral conflict. So, the analysis will focus on McLendon and his interactions with the other characters, particularly the black man, Will Mayes. The story touches on issues of racism and racial tension in the American South. I apply racial theory to analysis how Faulkner portrays the relationships between white and black characters, and how the story reflects the societal attitudes towards race during that time period. The data analysis process involves a close reading of “Dry September”, analyze the narrative language, structure and symbolism to uncover the unconscious motivations and desire of the characters. It interprets the symbolic meanings of the character’s dreams and fantasies to reveal their unconscious thoughts and desires.