Soldiers' Pay: Analysis of Major Characters
"Soldiers' Pay" offers a poignant exploration of the aftermath of World War I through its major characters, each embodying distinct responses to trauma and loss. The narrative centers on Donald Mahon, a wounded soldier returning to his Southern hometown, grappling with the physical and emotional scars of war. His condition elicits varied reactions from those around him, revealing deep-seated qualities in their personalities. Margaret Powers, a young war widow, serves as both caregiver and an embodiment of independence, navigating her own guilt and desire for connection amidst her unconventional choices. Joe Gilligan, Mahon's guardian, represents a steadying force, showcasing humor and self-sacrifice as he supports Mahon through his struggles. Julian Lowe, a naïve air cadet, contrasts with the other characters, holding unrealistic aspirations for glory and love. Meanwhile, Donald's father, Joseph Mahon, grapples with his faith and hopes for his son's recovery while ultimately finding solace in the community's strength. Other characters, like the superficial Cecily Saunders and the self-serving Januarius Jones, further illustrate the spectrum of human responses to the ravages of war, creating a rich tapestry of relationships and emotional landscapes.
Soldiers' Pay: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Faulkner
First published: 1926
Genre: Novel
Locale: Charlestown, Georgia
Plot: Impressionistic realism
Time: April and May, 1919
Donald Mahon, a flyer dying of wounds suffered in World War I. Wild like a faun in his youth, he was shot down and now is going blind, has lost most of his memory, is not fully conscious, and says little. His face is so dreadfully scarred that it shocks people, revealing their natures. He brings out the best in some and the worst in others. As the novel begins, he is coming back from the war by train to his home in a small town in Georgia, where he is engaged to a prominent Southern belle. At the end, his death, like the war, significantly changes the lives of some characters while not affecting others at all.
Margaret Powers, a young war widow on the train who nurses and, shortly before his death, marries Mahon. Tall, slim, dark, and pallid, with a mouth like a red scar, she is an independent woman of twenty-four, self-contained, unconventional, and the most intelligent, perceptive character in the novel. Some intend to insult her by calling her a black woman. Her compassion for Mahon is motivated to some extent by guilt about the way she broke off with her first husband, also a young officer, shortly before he was killed at the front by one of his own men. At the end, she declines a marriage proposal from Joe Gilligan and sets out on her own.
Joe Gilligan, a discharged American soldier who serves as Donald Mahon's guardian throughout the novel, regarding him as the kind of son he would have liked to have. An easygoing, talkative man of thirty-two, with a sense of humor and a capacity for self-sacrifice, he is almost the only person to whom Mahon speaks. He is a strong, mature man, and when Margaret Powers declines his proposal, he is not wounded for long.
Julian Lowe, an air cadet whose anticipation of glory as a flyer is disappointed by the armistice. On the train with Mahon and Gilligan, traveling back to his home in San Francisco, he naïvely envies Mahon. He is infatuated with Margaret Powers, whose feeling toward him is maternal, and throughout the novel he writes her ungrammatical love letters. His expectation of marrying her is frustrated, like his equally absurd dream of becoming a hero in the war.
Joseph Mahon, the rector, an Episcopalian priest who is Donald's father. A hopeful clergyman inclined to illusion, he sustains a faith that his son will recover and rise again. He grows increasingly realistic as Donald's condition worsens, but he transcends disappointment. In the end, after the death of Donald and the departure of Margaret, he consoles Joe Gilligan and leads him to some inspiration from black culture.
Cecily Saunders, the local belle engaged to Donald Mahon. A shallow flirt with reddish dark hair and green-blue eyes, she has a conventional perfection but is spoiled and petulant. She is jealous of Margaret (she calls her a black woman) and forces herself to kiss Mahon on the side of his face that is not scarred, but she cannot go through with the marriage. She consorts with other men and finally elopes with George Farr.
George Farr, an ordinary, gullible young man in love with Cecily Saunders. Duped by the superficial, he suffers from jealousy and at last succeeds in eloping with Cecily, who continues to make him miserable.
Emmy, the housekeeper at the rectory. She is in love with Donald Mahon. A poor, loyal, and passionate young woman with a wild face and dark eyes, she gave her virginity to Mahon before he became engaged to Cecily and went to war. She is distraught that, as a result of his wounds, he has forgotten her. In wounded pride, she declines the opportunity to marry him offered her by Margaret after Cecily runs away.
Januarius Jones, a fat, coldhearted Latin teacher who pursues women like a satyr. Baggy in gray tweeds and the antithesis of Donald Mahon, he has eyes the color of urine and the morals of a goat. Margaret rejects him, whereas Cecily, to some extent his moral counterpart, teases him, and Emmy, as an escape from grief, submits to him.