Hubbry Logo
The ReiversThe ReiversMain
Open search
The Reivers
Community hub
The Reivers
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
The Reivers
The Reivers
The Reivers
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

The Reivers: A Reminiscence, published in 1962, is the last novel by the American author William Faulkner. It was published a month before his death. The bestselling novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963. Faulkner previously won this award for his book A Fable, making him one of only four authors to be awarded it more than once.[2] Unlike many of his earlier works, it is a straightforward narration and eschews the complicated literary techniques of his more well-known works. It is a picaresque novel, and as such may seem uncharacteristically lighthearted given its subject matter. For these reasons, The Reivers is often ignored by Faulkner scholars or dismissed as a lesser work. He previously had referred to writing a "Golden Book of Yoknapatawpha County" with which he would finish his literary career. It is likely that The Reivers was meant to be this "Golden Book". The Reivers was adapted into a film of the same name directed by Mark Rydell and starring Steve McQueen as Boon Hogganbeck.

Key Information

Plot

[edit]

In the early 20th century, an 11-year-old boy named Lucius Priest (a distant cousin of the McCaslin/Edmonds family Faulkner wrote about in Go Down, Moses) somewhat unwittingly gets embroiled in a plot to go to Memphis with dimwitted family friend and manservant Boon Hogganbeck. Boon steals (reives,[3] thereby becoming a reiver) Lucius' grandfather's car, one of the first cars in Yoknapatawpha County. They discover that Ned McCaslin, a black man who works with Boon at Lucius' grandfather's stables, has stowed away with them (Ned is also a blood cousin of the Priests).

When they reach Memphis, Boon and Lucius stay in a boarding-house (brothel). Miss Reba, the madam, and Miss Corrie, Boon's favorite girl, are appalled to see that Boon has brought a child. In fact, Corrie's nephew Otis, an ill-mannered and off-putting boy about Lucius' age, is already staying there. In the evening, Otis reveals that Corrie (whose real name is Everbe Corinthia) used to prostitute herself in their old town, and he would charge men to watch her through a peephole. Outraged at his conduct, Lucius fights Otis, who cuts his hand with a pocketknife. Boon breaks up the fight but Corrie is so moved by Lucius' chivalry that she decides to stop whoring. Later, Ned returns to the boarding-house and reveals he traded the car for a supposedly lame racehorse.

Corrie, Reba, Ned, Boon and Lucius hatch a scheme to smuggle the horse by rail to a nearby town, Parsham, to race a horse it has lost to twice already. Ned figures that everyone in town will bet against the horse and he can win enough money to buy back the car; he claims to have a secret ability to make the horse run. Corrie uses another client who works for the railroad, Sam, to get them and the horse on a night train. In town, Ned takes Lucius to stay with a black family while they practice for the horse race. Unfortunately, the local lawman named Butch finds them out and attempts to extort sexual favors from Corrie to look the other way. Reba is able to send him away by claiming she will reveal to the town that he intentionally ordered two prostitutes, angering his constituency.

On the day of the race, Lucius rides the horse (named Coppermine but called Lightning by Ned) and loses the first of three heats as planned. Just as the second heat begins, Butch returns to break up the horserace and arrest Boon for stealing the horse. Lucius and one of Ned's kinsman are able to get the horse to safety; Corrie is supposedly able to clear the whole ordeal up by having sex with Butch and the race takes place as scheduled the next day. Lucius and Lightning win much to everyone's surprise, but are greeted at the track by Boss Priest, Lucius' grandfather.

That night, Ned reveals his scheme: his cousin Bobo accrued a huge gambling debt to a white man and agreed to steal a horse to make up for it. Ned recognizes some kind of spirit in the horse that he once saw before in a lame mule he was able to make race. Ned decides to try to bet the horse against the car, but Boss Priest's arrival ruins his scheme. Now himself embroiled in the horse theft and confusion, Boss Priest is forced to enter another race: if they win, he pays $500 to legally take the horse but reveal Ned's secret (he enticed the horse with sardines); if they lose he pays $500 but does not have to take the horse. Ned intentionally throws the race, knowing the horse is worthless. Boss pays the penalty and they get the car back.

Back home, Boss Priest saves Lucius from receiving a beating from his father, knowing that the ordeal he went through at his age was punishment enough. Boon and Corrie eventually marry and name their son Lucius Priest Hogganbeck.

Characters

[edit]

Boon Hogganbeck

[edit]

Boon is also a major character in Go Down, Moses, where he appears as a McCaslin/Priest family retainer of limited education and interests. In The Reivers he shows the unexpected qualities of a car lover and a romantic hero; his marriage ties up a major "loose end" in the Faulkner canon.

Ned McCaslin

[edit]

Ned's character resembles that of his distant relative Lucas Beauchamp in many ways. Like Lucas, he at least pretends to work for his white cousins while constantly outwitting them in various ways. The Priests invariably find it in their hearts to forgive him.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Reivers

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Reivers: A Reminiscence is a 1962 novel by American author , marking his final work of fiction and earning the in 1963. Set in the early 1900s around Jefferson, a fictional town inspired by Faulkner's hometown of , the story is narrated by Lucius Priest as an adult reminiscing about his experiences at age 11. It follows a picaresque adventure when Lucius joins family employee Boon Hogganbeck, who impulsively steals his employer's new Winton Flyer automobile for a trip to Memphis to visit a and pursue a romantic interest. Accompanied by the resourceful stable hand Ned McCaslin, the trio encounters a series of humorous and perilous escapades, including treacherous muddy roads, a rigged race to reclaim the vehicle after it's traded away, and confrontations with corrupt figures like the brothel owner Mr. Binford and gangster Boss McCaslin. Through these trials, young grapples with moral dilemmas, witnesses adult vices such as and , and learns hard lessons about responsibility, loyalty, and the transformative impact of —particularly the automobile—on Southern life. Unlike Faulkner's more dense and gothic works like or As I Lay Dying, The Reivers adopts a lighter, comedic tone, blending tall-tale elements with social commentary on race, class, and change in the post-Civil War South. Key characters include the impulsive, childlike Boon (part Indian); the clever, entrepreneurial Ned (a distant relative of Lucius); and the sympathetic prostitute Miss Corrie, whose redemption arc underscores themes of human decency amid vice. Published just months before Faulkner's death in July 1962, the novel reflects his lifelong fascination with , offering a whimsical capstone to his literary career while critiquing the erosion of traditional values by technological progress.

Background and Publication

Composition and Context

William Faulkner conceived the idea for The Reivers in 1940 as a potential centered on the of an automobile, but he set it aside and expanded it into a full over the next two decades, completing the in 1961. This evolution reflects Faulkner's habit of revisiting and developing early concepts, transforming a simple premise into a more elaborate narrative that incorporated elements of his fictional universe. During 1961 and early 1962, Faulkner's health deteriorated significantly, marked by multiple falls from horses—including one on December 16, 1961, in , another on January 3, 1962, resulting in a , and a severe fall on June 10, 1962, near his home in , which caused intense —and exacerbated by his chronic , which led to increased drinking and a final hospitalization for acute alcoholism on July 5, 1962. These physical and personal struggles likely contributed to the novel's creation as a lighter, more accessible work compared to his denser earlier novels, offering a comic and hopeful tone amid his declining condition. Published on June 4, 1962, just a month before Faulkner's death on July 6, The Reivers stands as his final novel and a comic valediction to the Yoknapatawpha saga, providing a sense of closure to the fictional world he had chronicled for decades. It ties up loose ends from prior works, particularly through the character of Boon Hogganbeck, a recurring figure first introduced in stories like "The Bear" from (1942), whose arc culminates in marriage and domestic stability, symbolizing resolution in Faulkner's interconnected narratives. The novel also draws from Faulkner's own life in rural , evoking his familiarity with early 20th-century Southern customs and the transformative arrival of automobiles, which he experienced firsthand as symbols of modernity disrupting traditional ways.

Publication History

The Reivers was published by on June 4, 1962, subtitled A Reminiscence, marking it as William Faulkner's final novel released just one month before his death from a heart attack on July 6, 1962. The manuscript underwent editorial refinement through Faulkner's close collaboration with his longtime editor at , Albert Erskine, who helped streamline the narrative for greater clarity and accessibility compared to the author's more complex earlier works. The initial release achieved significant commercial success, appearing on the New York Times bestseller list and remaining there for 19 weeks, buoyed by its lighter, more approachable style that broadened Faulkner's audience beyond his core readership. Following Faulkner's death, the novel saw numerous posthumous editions, including paperback reprints by Vintage in 1992 and its inclusion in the Library of America collection Novels 1957–1962 (1999), which features corrected texts of The Town, The Mansion, and The Reivers.

Setting and Style

Fictional World and Time Period

The novel The Reivers is primarily set in the fictional , , with its county seat of Jefferson serving as the starting point for the story's events. , a recurring element in William Faulkner's works, is modeled on the real , and its county seat of , where Faulkner lived much of his life. Jefferson represents a small, rural Southern emblematic of early 20th-century , complete with its dirt roads, livery stables, and close-knit community structures that reflect the lingering influences of the post-Civil War agrarian economy. The time period is established as May 1905, capturing a pivotal moment in the American South during the shift from horse-drawn transportation to the advent of automobiles, which underscores the tension between and emerging . This era highlights the rural rhythms of life, including farms, local railroads branching from Jefferson toward larger hubs, and the social hierarchies shaped by the region's and Reconstruction. Racial dynamics are woven into the setting through interactions between white landowners and Black laborers, reflecting the segregated norms of Jim Crow-era , while class structures emphasize the distinctions between established white families and working-class individuals. The narrative extends beyond Yoknapatawpha to —a real city frequently featured in Faulkner's fiction—and the nearby fictional town of Parsham, providing a stark urban contrast to Jefferson's propriety. Memphis is depicted as a bustling vice district with bordellos, gambling dens, and a more transient, cosmopolitan atmosphere that exposes the underbelly of Southern progress, including interracial encounters and moral ambiguities absent from rural Jefferson. This juxtaposition illustrates the automobile's role as a symbol of disruptive change, enabling escapes from insular town life into broader, more chaotic regional networks. The Reivers integrates seamlessly with Faulkner's broader Yoknapatawpha mythology, referencing prominent families such as —descended from early settlers—and the McCaslins, whose lands lie northeast of Jefferson along key roads like the one forking from the Memphis highway. These allusions connect the novel to earlier works like and , enriching the setting with layers of inherited history, land ownership disputes, and familial legacies that define the county's social fabric.

Narrative Structure and Tone

The Reivers employs a framed structure in which an elderly Lucius Priest recounts his youthful adventures to his , creating a that bookends the main story with reflective bookends such as the recurring phrase "Grandfather said." This retrospective framing, set in Jefferson in , allows the adult narrator to look back on events from circa , infusing the tale with and moral insight while emphasizing personal and familial continuity, as the narrative opens and closes with Lucius's perspective on his past experiences. The novel adopts a picaresque form, characterized by episodic adventures, roguish protagonists engaging in humorous escapades, and a journey through societal margins, heavily influenced by Mark Twain's . This structure follows the young Lucius and his companions on a series of trickster-like exploits, blending with folkloric elements to highlight themes of and communal resilience in a changing . Unlike Faulkner's denser, modernist works, The Reivers features a lighter, more linear tone, with straightforward prose that prioritizes accessibility and style over complex temporal shifts. Stylistically, the first-person perspective from young blends the innocence of childhood observation with the retrospective wisdom of the adult narrator, creating a voice that layers atop philosophical depth. Faulkner incorporates Southern , such as vernacular phrases from characters like Ned McCaslin, alongside comic exaggeration in scenes of humor, like exaggerated or absurd mishaps, to sustain a levity that distinguishes the novel's engaging, hopeful rhythm from his typically somber Yoknapatawpha saga.

Plot Summary

The Reivers is narrated in the first person by Lucius Priest, who as an adult recounts his experiences at age 11 in 1905 Jefferson, Mississippi. The story opens with an anecdote about Boon Hogganbeck, a large, impulsive handyman of partial Chickasaw Indian descent employed by Lucius's family, who once accidentally shot out a store window while trying to discipline a Black worker. Boon works for Lucius's grandfather, the local bank president, who has just acquired a new Winton Flyer automobile—the second car in the county—which Boon is tasked with maintaining. Following a funeral, Boon decides to "borrow" the car for a trip to Memphis to visit Miss Corrie, a prostitute at whom he is smitten. To ensure secrecy, Boon forces to accompany him after catching the boy in a minor lie about skipping . Unbeknownst to Boon, Ned William McCaslin, the family's resourceful Black stable hand and a distant relative of , hides in the car to safeguard the vehicle. The journey north proves challenging; the group gets stuck in the mud of Hell Creek bottom and must hire a local farmer's and wagon to extract the car for a fee. Arriving in Memphis, they check into Miss Reba's , where Boon reunites with Miss Corrie. Lucius is exposed to the seedy underbelly of the city, encountering figures like the corrupt pimp Otis and Miss Reba's foul-mouthed . Tensions escalate when Ned, acting on his own entrepreneurial scheme, trades the Winton Flyer for a racehorse named , which was stolen from the gangster Boss McCaslin. Ned plans to enter in a fixed race at Parsham to win money. Enraged, Boon demands its return, leading the group to Parsham. Lucius, after a brutal fight with Otis that knocks out one of his teeth, volunteers to ride Lightning in the race against a stronger competitor. The race is manipulated by local authorities, but Lightning unexpectedly surges ahead—thanks to Ned secretly feeding it sardines, which act as a —and wins. Chaos ensues as arrest Boon and Ned for possession of the stolen . Lucius's grandfather arrives in Memphis, having been alerted to the theft, and intervenes to resolve the situation. To avoid further scandal, a rematch is arranged; this time, Lightning loses as planned, allowing Boss McCaslin to reclaim his property. The car is returned to the group. The trio returns to Jefferson, where confesses everything to his grandfather, who imparts lessons on honor, responsibility, and the consequences of yielding to temptation. In the years that follow, Boon marries Miss Corrie, and they name their son Priest Hogganbeck. reflects on the adventure as a pivotal into the moral complexities of adulthood.

Characters

Protagonists

Priest serves as the protagonist and first-person narrator of The Reivers, recounting his experiences as an 11-year-old boy in 1905 from the perspective of his 67-year-old self in 1961. As the son of a respectable family owning a stable in Jefferson, , embodies youthful innocence and aristocratic lineage, yet demonstrates bravery, , and a reflective appreciation for the human qualities of diverse individuals, including outcasts like gamblers and prostitutes he encounters during the adventure. His moral testing occurs through the illicit journey, where his initial curiosity propels the while highlighting his growth amid adult temptations. Boon Hogganbeck, a recurring figure in Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha saga, acts as a central in The Reivers, driving the plot with his impulsive decision to steal an automobile for a trip to Memphis. Physically imposing at six feet four inches and 240 pounds, Boon is portrayed as tough, faithful, brave, yet completely unreliable, possessing a childlike mentality that underscores his obsession with modern machines and romantic pursuits. As a part-Chickasaw factotum employed by families like for hunting expeditions, his nature—marked by recklessness and loyalty—sparks the group's escapades, ultimately leading to his marriage by the novel's end. Ned McCaslin, the Black stableman and family retainer, emerges as a key protagonist whose pragmatic wisdom guides the trio through racial and social challenges during their journey. Born enslaved in 1860 on the McCaslin plantation—making him a descendant of the white patriarch Quintus Carothers McCaslin—Ned is one of Faulkner's most nuanced African American characters, blending comedic elements like his larcenous tendencies and clownish laugh with sharp intelligence and cunning. In 1905, at age 45, he is married to the family's cook, Delphine, his fourth wife, and carries both a and whiskey, symbolizing his complex navigation of post-emancipation life; refers to him as the family's "skeleton" due to his biracial heritage. The protagonists' relationships form the core dynamic of the : , the wide-eyed youth from privilege, looks up to the impulsive Boon and wise Ned, whose lower-class and marginalized statuses contrast with his own, fostering a makeshift camaraderie tested by their shared deceptions in Memphis. Boon's recklessness ignites the adventure, Ned's scheming sustains it, and 's narration frames their bond as a across social divides.

Supporting Characters

Boss Priest serves as the stern patriarch of the Priest family and a prominent banker in Jefferson, , embodying and moral rectitude in Faulkner's . As the owner of the Winton automobile central to the protagonists' escapade, he represents the generational anchor whose eventual judgment frames the narrative's themes of responsibility and redemption. His compassionate resolution of Lucius's predicament underscores a gentleman's , as he advises, "A gentleman accepts the responsibilities of his actions," teaching the young narrator about facing consequences with rather than harsh punishment. Miss Reba Rivers operates a in Memphis, providing a chaotic yet hospitable refuge for the protagonists during their urban misadventures and offering through her boisterous personality and diamond-laden appearance. Her establishment exposes the innocence of young to the seedy underbelly of , while her enforcement of house rules—such as and prohibiting —highlights a peculiar sense of order amid moral ambiguity. Reba's underlying kindness, evident in her protective instincts toward the group, contrasts with the brothel's exploitative environment, aiding Lucius's initiation into adult complexities. Mr. Binford, Miss Reba's partner and proprietor, is invoked as a figure of paradoxical virtue within this , remembered for his rectitude despite his involvement in the . His and eventual departure due to debts amplify the comic and cautionary elements of urban vice, serving as an influence that underscores the precarious of Memphis nightlife. Binford's legacy, including his namesake dogs in related Faulkner works, reinforces the 's role as a site of flawed human endeavors. Everbe Corinthian, a young prostitute at Miss Reba's known affectionately as Miss Corrie, becomes the object of Boon Hogganbeck's affections and a nuanced symbol of redemption amid fleeting desire. Her bond with evolves into a surrogate maternal relationship, marked by a of personal after his defense of her honor—"I want to make you a ... it won’t be my fault any more"—which tests the boy's and contributes to his emotional maturation when she falters. Treated with sympathy rather than , Corinthian highlights the novel's exploration of human vulnerability and the potential for change in marginalized figures. Other episodic figures, such as the deputy sheriff Butch Lovemaiden and the parson-farmer Uncle Parsham Hood, function as antagonists and helpers in the picaresque journey, injecting chaos and wisdom into the protagonists' encounters. Butch embodies corrupt authority, using his position to bully and extort, particularly during the horse race subplot, where his advances toward Corinthian and arrest of Boon escalate tensions. In contrast, Uncle Parsham, a dignified Black elder, offers solace through folksy anecdotes and church-centered morality, as in his tale of a wise mule that mirrors the story's themes of endurance, providing Lucius emotional support without direct intervention. These brief roles amplify the novel's episodic structure and cultural contrasts.

Themes and Motifs

Initiation and Moral Growth

In William Faulkner's The Reivers, the protagonist Priest undergoes a that marks his transition from naive boyhood to a more nuanced understanding of adult life, grappling with compromises in honor, amid temptations and deceptions during his formative journey. This exposes to the moral ambiguities of , as he observes and participates in scenarios that challenge his initial innocence and instill a sense of ethical complexity. Through these experiences, learns to navigate the interplay of personal integrity and societal pressures, emerging with a tempered wisdom about the flaws inherent in human interactions. The presents moral dilemmas central to the characters' development, where choices between truth and expediency highlight the tension between and practicality. Ned's manipulations, employing trickster-like deceptions to achieve ends, and Boon's obsessions, driven by impulsive desires, exemplify these conflicts, ultimately teaching resilience in a world marked by imperfection and compromise. , in particular, confronts his conscience over ethical lapses, learning to accept responsibility for actions while adapting to morally relative outcomes that prioritize and communal over absolute . These dilemmas foster a pragmatic ethical framework, emphasizing adaptability as essential for personal growth amid flawed circumstances. Faulkner underscores this growth through humor, transforming comic failures into pathways to wisdom, which contrasts sharply with the tragic initiations in his earlier novels like . Light-hearted misadventures and elements, such as exaggerated deceptions and mishaps, serve to humanize the characters' stumbles, allowing to gain insight without descending into despair, thus regenerative rather than destructive. This comedic approach reframes ethical education as an accessible, resilient process, distinct from the profound losses of earlier tragic narratives. The themes of and growth in The Reivers are deeply intertwined with Southern codes of conduct, where family often supersedes strict , guiding characters toward decisions that safeguard communal ties over individual righteousness. Lucius's reflects this , as he prioritizes bonds with figures like Ned and Boon, adapting chivalric ideals to pragmatic actions that honor familial and social obligations in the Southern context. Such codes underscore the novel's portrayal of ethical development as a balance between tradition and necessity, reinforcing resilience through in an imperfect society.

Modernity Versus Tradition

In William Faulkner's The Reivers, the automobile emerges as a potent symbol of modernity's intrusion into the traditional Southern landscape, embodying both progress and disruption. The stolen Winton Flyer, Jefferson's first automobile, propels the protagonists' picaresque journey from rural Mississippi to Memphis, facilitating unprecedented mobility while exposing the fragility of agrarian life against mechanical innovation. This vehicle, described as an "expensive useless mechanical toy…held helpless…in the almost infantile clutch of…earth and water," underscores how modern technology falters against enduring natural forces, yet it irrevocably alters social rhythms by enabling escapades that challenge established norms. The Flyer's role in the narrative highlights the tension between industrial capitalism and the Old South's values, as its theft initiates a chain of chaotic events that disrupt the propriety of small-town existence. Racial and social dynamics further illuminate the era's hypocrisies, with the character Ned McCaslin embodying the complexities of Jim Crow tensions amid encroaching . As a mixed-race figure, Ned navigates the color line with cunning adaptability, using the automobile's mobility—a rarity for non-whites—to resolve crises and aid his community, thereby subverting racial hierarchies while revealing their artificiality. This portrayal, where exposes the inequities of traditional Southern without fully resolving them, as Ned's actions blend oral folk wisdom with the exigencies of a changing world. Such dynamics critique the demanded by industrial progress, where social adaptability becomes essential for survival in a multiethnic landscape. The contrast between urban Memphis and rural Jefferson amplifies these themes, portraying technology as an accelerator of moral erosion in the face of propriety. Memphis's bordellos, scams, and underbelly represent the corrupting allure of urban vice, accessible via the automobile's speed, which erodes the insulated virtues of Jefferson's traditional community. This journey from agrarian past to industrial present critiques how reorganizes space and , transforming rural isolation into a conduit for societal vices. Faulkner's treatment conveys a nostalgic yet critical affection for the vanishing Southern past, echoing motifs across his Yoknapatawpha saga while acknowledging inevitable change. The novel's framing as Lucius Priest's reminiscence evokes a "nostalgic look back at a golden time of innocence," yet it tempers sentiment with pragmatic acceptance, urging characters to "live with" progress's disruptions rather than resist them. This dual perspective critiques tradition's obsolescence without romanticizing it, positioning The Reivers as a reflective capstone to Faulkner's exploration of Southern transformation.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

Upon its publication in 1962, The Reivers received mixed initial reviews, with critics praising its accessibility and humor while often deeming it a minor work compared to Faulkner's more ambitious novels like Absalom, Absalom!. lauded the book for its "homely and sober-sided frontier humor that is seldom achieved in contemporary writing," highlighting its lighter tone as a refreshing departure from Faulkner's denser style. Similarly, a New York Times review described it as a successful picaresque , where characters' oblivious foolishness evokes joy without serious harm, illustrating academic theories of comedy through absurd Southern escapades. However, Warren Beck, in the Saturday Review, found few serious virtues in the novel, viewing its strengths primarily in stylistic flourishes rather than profound depth. The jury for 1963, led by John Barkham and Irita Van Doren, selected it as the winner, calling it a "genial" achievement that affirmed Faulkner's late-career vitality, though it was their second choice after another contender. In academic analysis, The Reivers has been interpreted as a picaresque summation of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha saga, drawing heavily on Mark Twain's influences to blend adventure with moral reflection. Scholars note Faulkner's explicit amends to , whom he once slighted but later extolled, evident in parallels between The Reivers and , such as the river journey motif and the initiation of a young narrator into ethical dilemmas. This lighter style, often compared to a Quixotic picaresque, encapsulates Faulkner's career by revisiting familiar themes through comic lenses, aiding his Nobel legacy by showcasing narrative economy over complexity. Its publication timing, mere weeks before Faulkner's death in July 1962, positioned it as a capstone to his oeuvre. Debates on race and in The Reivers reveal evolving scholarly perspectives, with early overlooking the roles of characters like Ned William McCaslin, who drives much of the plot's moral arc. Later postcolonial readings have reevaluated these figures, situating the novel within Faulkner's broader treatment of racial hierarchies in his late works, where class intersections complicate Southern . Gender analyses, meanwhile, critique the marginalization of female characters amid male-centric escapades, though some studies extend this to constructions of masculinity in Faulkner's initiation tales. Post-1960s scholarship often views The Reivers as an indulgent farewell, emphasizing its optimism as a to Faulkner's declining health and the era's social upheavals. Critics describe it as his "least ironic" , infused with nostalgic laughter and hope that contrasts his earlier gothic intensity, reflecting a valedictory embrace of human resilience. This perspective underscores its role in sustaining Faulkner's reputation amid shifting literary tastes.

Cultural Impact and Adaptations

The 1969 film adaptation of The Reivers, directed by , starred as Boon Hogganbeck, as the young narrator Lucius Priest, and as Ned McCaslin, transforming Faulkner's novel into a comic adventure emphasizing mischief and moral lessons amid early 20th-century Southern escapades. The film received two nominations: Best for , marking a milestone as the first for an African American in that category, and Best Original Score for . The Reivers bolstered Faulkner's reputation as a versatile Southern storyteller, blending humor with gothic elements in a way that highlighted comedic undercurrents in his oeuvre and influenced portrayals of rural Southern mischief in subsequent literature and media. As Faulkner's final novel, it contributed to his popular legacy by showcasing a lighter, more approachable side of , tying into broader themes of automotive transformation in early American culture as symbols of and social disruption. In educational contexts, The Reivers serves as an for studying Faulkner, valued for its straightforward narrative and comic tone that contrast his denser works, making it suitable for high school and undergraduate curricula to introduce themes of and Southern identity without overwhelming complexity. The novel's structure, framed as a picaresque journey of episodic adventures, has echoed in modern American and , reinforcing motifs of youthful and moral awakening through travel narratives that explore versus .

References

  1. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/reivers-analysis-setting
  2. https://www.supersummary.com/the-reivers/summary/
  3. https://www.enotes.com/topics/reivers/in-depth
  4. https://greatbooksguy.com/2023/10/31/1963-pulitzer-prize-review-the-reivers-a-reminiscence-1962-by-william-faulkner/
  5. https://www.baumanrarebooks.com/rare-books/faulkner-william/reivers/86928.aspx
  6. https://faulkner.drupal.shanti.virginia.edu/content/reivers
  7. https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1088&context=jmh
  8. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1949/faulkner/biographical/
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/05/nyregion/albert-r-erskine-81-an-editor-for-faulkner-and-other-authors.html
  10. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1027182-the-reivers-by-william-faulkner-discussion-january-2013
  11. https://boothnews.eiu.edu/2014/10/30/new-york-times-bestsellers-of-the-1960s/
  12. https://www.nytimes.com/1962/12/29/archives/best-seller-list-fiction-general.html
  13. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/48426/the-reivers-by-william-faulkner/
  14. https://www.loa.org/books/136-novels-1957-1962/
  15. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803125350106
  16. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/faulkners-geography/
  17. https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/33116/1/Corrected%20Gavan%20Lennon%20PhD%20April%202016.pdf
  18. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/4050
  19. https://www.nytimes.com/1962/06/05/archives/critic-at-large-new-picaresque-novel-by-faulkner-gives-academic.html
  20. https://www.gradesaver.com/the-reivers/study-guide/summary
  21. https://faulkner.drupal.shanti.virginia.edu/content/lucius-priest-ii
  22. https://faulkner.drupal.shanti.virginia.edu/content/boon-hogganbeck-5
  23. https://faulkner.drupal.shanti.virginia.edu/content/ned-mccaslin
  24. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1407&context=grtheses
  25. https://preserve.lehigh.edu/system/files/derivatives/coverpage/426327.pdf
  26. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26474191
  27. https://dspacep01.emporia.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/2832/Blackburn%25201969.pdf?sequence=1
  28. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5068&context=etd
  29. https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5160&context=luc_theses
  30. https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3807&context=etd
  31. https://repository.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4308&context=gradschool_dissertations
  32. https://www.scribd.com/document/472142547/Faulkner-A-collection-of-critical-essays-pdf
  33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26473667
  34. https://www.pulitzer.org/article/many-guises-william-faulkner
  35. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3816830
  36. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=5068&context=etd
  37. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/12/article/31750/summary
  38. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24907819
  39. https://mississippi.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.14325/mississippi/9781496809971.001.0001/upso-9781496809971-chapter-007
  40. https://www.academia.edu/25883126/The_critical_search_for_William_Faulkner_a_study_of_ve_novels
  41. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064886/
  42. https://semo.edu/faulkner-studies/teaching-faulkner/teaching-high-school
  43. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/4/article/38031
  44. https://auetd.auburn.edu/bitstream/handle/10415/166/WORTHINGTON_LESLIE_21.pdf
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.