Classic 20th Century Novel: Faulkner’s third novel, the 600-page Flags in the Dust, was rejected by numerous publishers. Alfred Harcourt finally agreed to publish it with the stipulation that somebody – not named Faulkner – cut it down to size, maybe giving it some structure and unifying the plot. For a fee of $50.00 (about $900 today), Faulkner’s agent man nipped, snipped, clipped, and ripped. The shortened book was called Sartoris and released in 1929. In 1973, this restored version was released; as we’d expect, textual controversy among scholars simmers whether it was “what Faulkner intended.”
You should know that Sartoris is said “SAR-tris” or “SAR-dƏ-ris” because in unstressed syllables /t/ becomes /d/, like pretty, glitter, forgettable. It’s not “sa-TOR-is.” And “Bayard” is said “baird.”
Flags in the Dust – William Faulkner
No brass bands or parties for Bayard Sartoris when he comes home from World War I. He sneaks into his hometown of Jefferson, Mississippi and his grandfather Old Bayard and great-great-aunt Jenny have to hear of his return through the grapevine.
Young Bayard doesn’t want to see anybody because he’s a mess. He feels shame because he survived the war and his twin brother John did not. He feels guilty that he was unable to stop reckless John from taking one Sopwith Camel against a squadron of the Red Baron’s best students. Young Bayard has trouble sleeping and concentrating. His anxiety makes him narrow-minded, only able to focus on his own pain and irritability, with frequent angry outbursts and aggressive behavior. Drinking too much, driving too fast, fussing and brawling, and breaking stallions on a whim, he hares after death with self-destructive behavior. Pride and fear of appearing weak have shut down Young Bayard's willingness to talk about his experiences so though people notice he’s feeling down-hearted, nobody can see any way to sympathize with him.
Meanwhile his grandfather Old Bayard runs the local bank and Miss Jenny runs the household, gardens, and goes joyriding with Young Bayard. They try to ease Young Bayard's re-entry into ordinary life but many factors besides PTSD fight them.
The genes of his grandfather John are visited upon his generations. Aunt Jenny makes caustic comments on the tendency of the Sartoris male to indulge in daredevilry. Nobody exerts control over their genetic heritage or the jaunty ways their male relatives have gloriously if foolishly checked out of our mundane world. Young Bayard feels he has let down the Southern tradition of honor and gallantry epitomized by the death of his great-great-uncle in The War.
But the Great War, as big wars always do, has ushered in social and economic changes with implications for big changes in the future. Yeoman whites are bettering their financial straits, buying cars, and moving from remote hamlets to towns. Partying with the Young Bayard, a car-owning salesman marvels that though they’ve known each other all their lives, it’s the first time they’ve had a drink together. However, others from the country are not dealing with culture shock in an ideal way. Byron Snopes, a stereotypical foul owl on the prowl, breaks into Narcisa Benbow’s bedroom and lies on her empty bed, “writhing and making smothered, animal-like noises.”
Better read aloud, especially the set piece when young Bayard hides out at the MacCallums after the tragedy; I have re-read that sequence for the sheer reading pleasure of immersion, Faulkner having utter control of setting, characters, dialog and theme. I'm not up to saying whether a reader should read this, the fully-upholstered version, or the abridgment. I think comparisons are odious. I've read both and liked them both. I think well-worth reading are the novels he wrote in his hot period: this one, The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930) and Light in August (1932).
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I've been meaning to try this. Sartoris was one of my early Faulkner reads and at least at the time I appreciated the editor's simplification. But I've been curious about this since I realized it existed.
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