Plot of Faulkner's "Delta Autumn"

This study will briefly describe the plot of William Faulkner's story "Delta Autumn" (which is actually a section of the novel Go Down, Moses), and will then in greater depth examine the story's theme, characters, structure, symbolism, language, and related literary elements. The study will focus on the meanings of the various uses of the metaphor of hunting in the story.

The story is about Isaac ("Ike") McCaslin and a hunting trip he and his companions take. On the way to the hunting grounds, which are far from their homes, various subjects of conversation arise in which Ike is portrayed as an idealist who bemoans the valuelessness of modern times longs for the old days when solid ideals reigned. Roth Edmonds, Ike's cousin, has had a child by aa African-American woman. At the camp, Roth asks Ike to give a final message to the woman when she arrives. Despite Ike's idealism, he is revealed as a racist in his encounter with the woman, although he does redeem himself to some degree with an act of generosity.

Little action takes place in the story, especially in terms of the expectations established by the opening scene of Ike's thoughts about the past and about his feelings about the hunting trip:

In fact, each time now, on that first night in camp, lying aching and sleepless in the harsh blankets, his blood only faintly warmed by the single thin whiskey-and-water which he allowed himself, he would tell himself that this would be his last. But he would stand that trip--he sti

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ch until she moved her hand, the single hand which held the money, until he touched it--the gnarled, bloodless, bone-dry old man's fingers touching for a second the smooth young flesh where the strong old blood ran after its long journey back to home (Faulkner 659). Here the "hunt" is for human connection, for the simple warmth of two human beings related in so many ways reaching across a great historical, generational, racial gulf to touch "for a second." Importantly, however, neither, at least at that moment, is hunter or prey. Both must participate in the reaching and touching for the reaching and touching to carry the power and meaning contained in that shared gesture. There is a human equality in that mutual reaching out and touching which to this reader is the heart of the story. However, this touching is obviously frightening in some way to Ike: He drew the hand back beneath the blanket again: he said harshly now: "It's a boy, I reckon. . . ." (Faulkner 659). The harshness in his voice is his way of disguising what he is feeling, because he is likely uncertain of what he is feeling, although he fears that whatever it is he should not be feeling it. However, because, at its foundation, the feeling has nothing to do wit

Category: Literature - P