Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner
"Intruder in the Dust" is a novel by William Faulkner, published in the late 1940s, that explores themes of race, dignity, and moral responsibility in the American South. The story centers around Lucas Beauchamp, a proud black man of mixed heritage who is accused of murdering a white man. Set against the backdrop of Jefferson, Mississippi, the narrative delves into the social dynamics of racial injustice, as Lucas refuses to defend himself, maintaining his dignity in the face of potential lynching.
Chick Mallison, a sixteen-year-old white youth, becomes drawn into Lucas's plight and defies societal expectations by seeking to prove Lucas's innocence. The involvement of Miss Eunice Habersham, a determined white woman with a strong sense of moral duty, highlights the complexities of racial relationships and the courage required to challenge ingrained prejudices. Through Chick's journey, Faulkner examines the internal conflict between conforming to societal norms and upholding ethical principles, underscoring the necessity for the South to confront its own racial issues. The novel presents a powerful commentary on social justice, identity, and the human capacity for change amidst systemic inequality.
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Subject Terms
Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner
First published: 1948
The Work
Intruder in the Dust proved to be one of William Faulkner’s most popular novels when it was first published. Set in the late 1940’s, it addresses the issue of civil rights for African Americans. In 1949, the novel was made into a film in Oxford, Mississippi.
Lucas Beauchamp, black descendant of the old slaveowner Carothers McCaslin, refuses to fit into the social pattern of race and position in Jefferson, Mississippi. This proud man of mixed blood, accused of murdering a white man, maintains his dignity by refusing to defend himself. Considered the noblest of Faulkner’s black male characters, Lucas also appears in Go Down, Moses (1942), which details the intertwining lives of the black and the white McCaslins.
Distantly related to Lucas through McCaslin is Chick Mallison, a sixteen-year-old white youth who views the old man with awe and respect. When Lucas sends for lawyer Gavin Stevens, Chick’s uncle, Chick goes with him. Initially Stevens believes that Lucas is guilty. Chick, however, does not. He becomes engaged by Lucas’ refusal to clear himself; he cannot let this man be lynched.
Chick determines to dig up the victim’s body to prove that Lucas is innocent. Miss Eunice Habersham’s participation in this scheme makes it possible. Miss Habersham, who grew up with Lucas Beauchamp’s wife Molly, seems utterly fearless. One of Faulkner’s grand old ladies, she knows who she is: descendant of a respected white family and unafraid to take risks for what she knows is right. She puts herself in jeopardy of the lynch mob because she, like Chick, refuses to stand by and allow Lucas to be taken. Only Chick and Miss Habersham have the courage to act at first. Lawyer Stevens is slower but is finally convinced by his nephew.
In this novel of conscience, Chick discovers what it means to be a man. He must choose between conforming to his society and his moral responsibility to the white and the black inhabitants of Jefferson. The loquacious Stevens is given a number of speeches representing Faulkner’s position on the civil rights issue in the South, namely, that the South must take responsibility for and solve by itself the racial problems that it has created and inherited. Stevens tells Chick: “Some things you must never stop refusing to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame.”
Bibliography
Bassett, John, ed. William Faulkner: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975. Ninety-four critical reviews and essays on Faulkner, including six on Intruder in the Dust. Bibliography.
Brooks, Cleanth. William Faulkner: The Yoknapatawpha Country. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1963. Contains a chapter on Intruder in the Dust. Description of plot and comparisons of the characters and the subtexts of the works. One of the most helpful and accessible books for information on Faulkner.
Howe, Irving. William Faulkner: A Critical Study. New York: Vintage Books, 1962. Focuses on the Southern myth and memory. Finds Intruder in the Dust to be the novel in which Faulkner frees himself from the Southern tradition of racism and stereotypes that are normally inherent to Southern life.
Jehlen, Myra. Class and Character in Faulkner’s South. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976. Finds class distinctions to be the central theme in Faulkner’s novels, including Intruder in the Dust. Considers treatment of characters relative to their classes.
Karl, Frederick R. William Faulkner: American Writer. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1989.
Lytle, Andrew. “Regeneration for the Man.” In Faulkner: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Robert Penn Warren. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966.
Powers, Lyall H. Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha Comedy. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1980. Emphasizes Faulkner’s vision of good versus evil and his dark optimism. Draws a comparison between Go Down, Moses and Intruder in the Dust, using the character Chick Mallison.
Vickery, Olga W. “Initiation and Identity: Go Down, Moses and Intruder in the Dust.” In The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Interpretation. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964.
Wilson, Edmund. “William Faulkner’s Reply to the Civil-Rights Program.” In Classics and Commercials: A Literary Chronicle of the Forties. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1950.