The novel "Intruder in the Dust" was written by the American author William Faulkner. The story covers the topics of life in the South, racial injustice and the problems the South was facing. The setting is the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, more precisely the town of Jefferson. Charles Mallison, a 16-year-old boy, is the narrator who tells the story of the black farmer, Lucas Beauchamp, wrongly arrested for the murder of a white man, named Vinson Gowrie. Lucas is exonerated through the efforts of the white teenager.
Charles Mallison, together with the black friend and family servant, Aleck Sander, as well as Miss Eunice Habersham, a lady of seventy , secretly drives out to the grave of Vinson Gowrie and digs him up. At the open grave they find out that the murdered person in the grave is not Vinson Gowrie but a man called Jake Montgomery. After this discovery they call Charles Mallison’s uncle, Gavin Stevens, for help. The lawyer, Gavin Stevens, and the sheriff, Hope Hampton, manage to arrest the true murderer Crawford Gowrie by using Lucas Beauchamp as a kind of “bait”.
After arresting Gowrie in the local jail, he commits suicide in his cell. Crawford Gowrie was stealing lumber from his uncle and from his brother Vinson. He wanted to conceal this and therefore killed his brother Vinson. During the whole story, Lucas Beauchamp never tries to convince people from his innocence by explaining what happened, he simply wants them to see for themselves, as he knows that no white man would believe a black man.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. History and Definition of the Detective Story
3. Intruder in the Dust as a Detective Story
3.1 Elements of the Plot
3.1.1 The Murder as the Central Crime
3.1.2 Interrogation of Suspects
3.1.3 The Answer to the Crime
3.1.4 The Red Herring
3.1.5 The Idea of Fair Play
3.2 Places and Figures in a Detective Story
3.3 The Protagonists in a Detective Story
3.3.1 The Role of the Detective
3.3.2 The Role of the Watson Figure
4. History and Definition of the Novel of Initiation
5. Intruder in the Dust as a Novel of Initiation
5.1 The Beginning of Charles Mallison’s Maturation
5.1.1 Charles Mallison as a Racist
5.1.1.1 Charles Mallison’s Use of Language
5.1.1.2 Charles Mallison’s Attitude towards Lucas
5.1.2 Charles Mallison’s Moment of Initiation
5.2 The Process of Charles Mallison’s Maturation
5.2.1 Charles Mallison’s Emotional Transformation
5.2.2 Charles Mallison’s Intellectual Transformation
5.3 The End of Charles Mallison’s Maturation
5.3.1 Charles Mallison as a Man
5.3.2 Charles Mallison’s Reconciliation to Society
6. Summary
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines William Faulkner's novel Intruder in the Dust to determine its primary generic classification, contrasting the characteristics of a traditional detective story with those of a novel of initiation. The study investigates whether the narrative functions primarily as a crime mystery or as a psychological account of the protagonist Charles Mallison’s transition from racial prejudice to maturity.
- The genre characteristics of the classic detective story.
- The structural and thematic elements of the novel of initiation.
- The psychological development of the protagonist, Charles Mallison.
- The role of racial prejudice and the traditional social code of the South.
- The impact of Lucas Beauchamp’s character on the protagonist's maturation.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2 Interrogation of Suspects
The definition above states that a real detective story should be full of interviews and interrogations in order to find the so-called “Whodunit” (from the 1930s, from who done it, non standard form of who did it, describes a story, play, etc. about a murder in which you do not know who did the murder until the end12). However, we must say that Intruder in the Dust is no real detective story, as neither the boy Charles Mallison, nor his uncle Gavin Stevens set out to interview suspects in order to solve the murder of Vinson Gowrie. When Gavin Stevens visits Lucas Beauchamp in jail after the murder has happened, he does not really want to know what exactly took place out there, at Beat Four, but he has already his preconceived opinion about Lucas being the murderer. He sees no necessity in questioning the suspect. The following sentence, uttered by Gavin is no question at all: “Now. Tell me exactly what happened yesterday.”13 This statement is a command. For Gavin it is not important what Lucas has to say or to add to the story, because Gavin is certain that he already knows the truth about the crime at Beat Four, where Vinson Gowrie was murdered. In the course of the interrogation Gavin does not listen to Lucas’ answers and does not believe him. Gavin again and again interrupts Lucas’ story and finishes the sentences for Lucas with his version of the crime.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the setting of Faulkner's novel and introduces the central research question regarding the genre of Intruder in the Dust.
2. History and Definition of the Detective Story: This chapter provides a historical context for the detective genre and defines its core structural elements, such as the perfect crime and the role of the investigator.
3. Intruder in the Dust as a Detective Story: The author evaluates the novel against standard detective fiction conventions, finding that while some elements are present, the work lacks a traditional investigator and the principle of fair play.
4. History and Definition of the Novel of Initiation: This chapter discusses the anthropological and literary roots of the initiation story, focusing on the protagonist's transition from childhood innocence to adult maturity.
5. Intruder in the Dust as a Novel of Initiation: This section details the three stages of Charles Mallison’s development, analyzing how his racist background is challenged and ultimately transformed through his interaction with Lucas Beauchamp.
6. Summary: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, concluding that Intruder in the Dust is more accurately defined as a novel of initiation than a conventional detective story.
Keywords
William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust, Detective Story, Novel of Initiation, Charles Mallison, Lucas Beauchamp, Southern Literature, Racial Prejudice, Maturation, Bildungsroman, Genre Analysis, Social Code, Innocence, Maturity, Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the genre classification of William Faulkner’s novel Intruder in the Dust, specifically analyzing whether it fits the mold of a detective story or a novel of initiation.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The main themes include racial injustice, the social code of the American South, the psychological maturation of the protagonist, and the structural conventions of crime fiction.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine which literary genre provides the most accurate framework for interpreting the novel's development and thematic depth.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The author uses a comparative analysis method, evaluating the text of the novel against established definitions of literary genres provided by academic sources.
What is examined in the main part of the text?
The main part analyzes specific plot elements like the "Whodunit" structure and "fair play" to debunk the detective story classification, followed by an in-depth study of Charles Mallison’s emotional and intellectual growth.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include William Faulkner, Detective Story, Novel of Initiation, Maturation, Racial Prejudice, and Southern Literature.
Why does the author argue that the novel is not a traditional detective story?
The author argues that the novel lacks a formal investigator, fails to adhere to the principle of "fair play," and does not provide the reader with the necessary information to solve the crime independently.
How does Charles Mallison's view of Lucas Beauchamp change throughout the story?
Initially, Charles views Lucas through the lens of Southern racial stereotypes, but this shifts as he begins to recognize Lucas's individual humanity and complexity, ultimately leading to his own moral and intellectual maturation.
- Quote paper
- Kerstin Köck (Author), 2010, "Intruder in the Dust" and the Question of Genre, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/305762
