The Reivers: A Reminiscence: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Reivers: A Reminiscence" explores the transformative journey of an eleven-year-old boy named Lucious Priest and the complexities of morality and adulthood through his experiences during a wild trip to Memphis. Accompanied by Boon Hogganbeck, a carefree and somewhat naïve character, Lucious confronts various moral dilemmas, including the nuances of good and evil, as he navigates encounters with figures like the morally ambiguous Ned McCaslin and the virtuous Uncle Parsham Hood. Each character embodies different aspects of humanity, from Boon's boyish charm to Ned's rough pragmatism and Uncle Parsham's genuine integrity.
As Lucious grapples with homesickness and guilt, he learns valuable lessons about honesty and the burdens of growing up. The narrative delves into his internal conflicts, particularly his understanding of what it means to be a gentleman, culminating in a poignant realization about personal responsibility and guilt. The interactions with Everbe, a prostitute with her own complicated choices, further complicate Lucious's journey towards maturity. This rich tapestry of characters and their relationships provides a profound commentary on the moral complexities of life and the transition from childhood innocence to adult awareness.
The Reivers: A Reminiscence: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Faulkner
First published: 1962
Genre: Novel
Locale: Fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, and Memphis and Parsham, Tennessee
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: May, 1905
Lucious Priest, an innocent eleven-year-old. When his parents and grandfather leave town to attend a funeral, he goes with Boon on a wild adventure to Memphis. Boon takes him to Miss Reba's brothel and then to Parsham and a racetrack. He becomes terribly sad, hungry, desperate, and homesick while waiting to return home. He tells this story in 1961, as a man of sixty-one years who does not feel the confusion and pain he felt at the time. He gives an incredible and detailed account of the events that transpired. The boy learns many things during this adventure, at the heart of which are the forces of good and evil. He learns that nothing is entirely good or bad, but that everything contains strains of each. In the process of his adventure, he passes out of childhood and becomes an adult. Throughout the dilemmas and trials he faces, he always wonders what he should do and what a gentleman would do. No matter how homesick he becomes, it is his point of honor to act like a man and not show that he wants to cry. He is at odds with the things he has been taught as a child as he sees older people who do not act reasonably. The one thing Lucious knows with certainty is that a person should never lie or make promises he is unable to keep. His confession in the end is not about the trip to Memphis or risking the safety of the automobile; it is that he lied about helping Aunt Callie keep the other children. He intends to take the punishment he deserves from his father, but when the time comes, his father knows that a whipping is no longer in order for Lucious. He has been through a greater ordeal than a whipping could cover. The grandfather breaks the impasse between boy and father by sending Lucious'father away. The grandfather then tells Lucious that his punishment will be that he has to live with his guilt for the rest of his life. This, Lucious learns, is the meaning of being a gentleman.
Boon Hogganbeck, a fun-loving sportsman without much intellect. He is innocent in his own way. When Lucious' parents leave for a funeral, Boon uses keys to the family car to take Lucious on an adventure to Memphis. He is boyish and wild, heroic in his spirit and his sense of virtue, but not a born gentleman. He makes advances toward Everbe that are refused, but they eventually decide to marry.
Ned McCaslin, a rough and unsavory man. Meeting Boon and Lucious at a private racetrack, he manages to barter away their automobile. He is a gentleman in a sense, but holding only the qualities that are useful to him; he lacks the virtue and morality that normally accompany a person of noble spirit. He has seen much and been many places. He knows right from wrong but does not attempt to keep to the right, as Lucious aspires to do. He values beauty and simple truths, and he despises Otis, who speaks crudely. He tries to prevent Lucious from having to hear Otis. At his most righteous, he strives to take from the rich and give to the poor. He does this with the help of a racehorse who runs in rigged races.
Uncle Parsham Hood, a farmer who is a bastion of gentle wisdom and virtuous spirit. He is an upstanding member of the church and community and fits the sincere definition of “gentleman.”
Butch, the brash deputy sheriff. He respects Uncle Parsham, but this alone is not enough to redeem his poor taste and general unkindness. He makes advances toward Everbe, which she accepts.
Everbe, a prostitute. Lucious fights for her. She falls in love with Boon but refuses to have sex with him on the grounds that she loves him and it would therefore be wrong to have sex if they were not married. She has sex with Butch, which causes Boon to hit her.