Dry September

Analyze the symbolism of dust and heat in the story, using textual evidence to explain how they relate to decay, violence, and racial tension.

What types of masculinity are described in “Dry September”? Analyze how John McLendon, Will Mayes, and the narrator embody or challenge traditional gender norms. What are their society’s expectations of male behavior?

Examine how Miss Minnie Cooper’s actions reveal the societal pressures and limitations placed on women during the early 20th century.

How do the characters of Miss Minnie Cooper, Will Mayes, and John McLendon become trapped in their circumstances, and what consequences do they face? How do their experiences comment on the limitations and injustices of their world?

How does the objective third-person narrator shape the reader’s understanding of the events and characters of the story?

The reader never hears Miss Minnie’s voice. Relying on either Part 2 or Part 4, write a 500-word diary entry from Miss Minnie’s point of view.

Research the era of Jim Crow laws and analyze how Faulkner dismantles the system of oppression in at least two of his short stories and/or novels, including “Dry September.”

Discuss the roots of the Southern Gothic tradition and analyze “Dry September” within the framework of the genre.