the unvanquished by william faulkner
In the novel The Unvanquished, written by William Faulkner, honor is dealt with first hand throughout the novel. In some cases, like Ab Snopes, there is a major lack of honor. But the characters Bayard and his Grandmother, Granny, have honor, and lots of it. Though Granny dies, it is an honorable death that brings out honor in Bayard. Bayard is a young man and is changing, as he grows so does his honor. When in the end he displays his honor in many different ways. Ab Snopes is a conniving devious character that is only in the war for booty. Ab never shows true honor in this novel, and possibly anywhere because he has no honor. Honor plays a key part in this novel and is vividly shown by each character. Granny takes care of Bayard and his black friend Ringo for most of the book. She dealt with hard times, and had to do some bad things, but she did it honorably, and taught the two boys about honor. Granny ran a business with Bayard Ringo where they stole mules and horses from the Yankees, then sold them back. She was a southern woman, and this was her way of fighting the war. Because she needed the boys help to do this, they had to do some sinful things. Granny took the burden of the sins: "I have sinned. I
Bayard left with his grandmother because his father was at war with the Yankees. He demonstrates honor from beginning to end, but it is towards the end that he really shows his honor and adulthood. When his grandmother is killed, Bayard and Ringo hunt down the man who killed her, and the man who lead her there, Ab Snopes. "I just walked steadily toward him as the pistol rose from the desk. I watched, I could the foreshortened slant of the barrel and knew that it would miss me though his hand did not tremble. I walked toward him, toward the pistol in the rock like hand, I heard no bullet" (Faulkner 248-249). It takes courage to walk into a room knowing that you are going to be shot at, and still enter. He is ending the dispute between his family, and the man, without violence. This takes honor that he is not sure that he has: "I remember how I thought while her hands still rested on my shoulders: At least this will be my chance to find out if I am what I think I am or if I just hope; if I am going to do what I have taught myself is right or if I am just going to wish I were" (Faulkner 215). Bayard is questioning his honor and whether he is going to kill or he is not going to kill. He questions if or if not he should continue his family tradition of killing, or end it without killing; which takes honor. In war honor is always present sometimes it is dishonor. Even those that are not fighting have honor, like Granny. She never actually fights, but she does what she can. Bayard fights against the scum of his country to avenge Granny's death. He displays honor as he does grows up. Ab Snopes is the most cowardly man in the novel. He has no honor and vividly shows it. have stolen and I have born false wittiness against my neighbor, though that neighbor was an enemy of my country. And more than that, I have cau
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Approximate Word count = 1226
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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