The Unvanquished: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Unvanquished" explores complex themes of loyalty, duty, and the transformative effects of war through its major characters, primarily set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. Central to the narrative is Colonel John Sartoris, a devoted Confederate officer from Mississippi, who embodies the antebellum South's values. Despite facing personal loss and witnessing inevitable defeat, Sartoris remains committed to his cause and later redirects his energy into rebuilding his community. His son, Bayard Sartoris, serves as the narrator, transitioning from idolization of his father to a more nuanced understanding of the consequences of violence, ultimately rejecting vengeance after his father's death.
Rosa "Granny" Millard, the matriarch of the Sartoris family, displays resourcefulness by bending her morals to support her family during tumultuous times, yet her actions lead to tragedy. Another significant character, Drusilla Hawk, challenges gender norms by fighting in the war and later grappling with societal expectations. The narrative also includes Ringo, Bayard's loyal companion, who is more willing to pursue revenge, contrasting with Bayard's evolving perspective. Lastly, Ab Snopes represents opportunism amidst the chaos, prioritizing self-interest over loyalty, thus contributing to the overarching themes of morality and survival during the war. Through these characters, "The Unvanquished" invites readers to reflect on the complexities of human behavior in the face of conflict.
The Unvanquished: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Faulkner
First published: 1938
Genre: Novel
Locale: Mississippi and Alabama
Plot: Bildungsroman
Time: The Civil War and the Reconstruction period
John Sartoris, a colonel in the confederate army. Sartoris, who is from Mississippi and devoted to the antebellum South, twice raises volunteers from the Jefferson area to fight in the Civil War. Although he is a widower and must leave behind an elderly mother-in-law and a twelve-year-old son, Sartoris believes it is his duty to fight for the South. Even after he realizes that defeat is inevitable, he continues to fight. After the war, he devotes his time and energy to reclaiming his land and rebuilding the city of Jefferson. Accustomed to holding power and killing, Colonel Sartoris wields his influence after the war as he builds a railroad and runs for political office. While his son Bayard is studying law, Sartoris tells him that times are changing and he would like to stop killing. He dies when his former business partner, whom he needlessly humiliated and needled, shoots him.
Rosa “Granny” Millard, Sartoris' mother-in-law. She lives on Sartoris land during the Civil War, caring for her grandson Bayard, whose mother died in childbirth, and overseeing the property and the black people who work on the Sartoris land. Despite her religious beliefs, Granny forges papers to steal mules from Yankee soldiers in order to help poor Southerners survive. She is killed by a Southern raider when she tries to make a deal to get valuable horses in order to have money to help her family and restore the Sartoris land after the war.
Bayard Sartoris, the colonel's son, the narrator and protagonist. An adolescent during the war, Bayard begins by idolizing and glorifying his father the soldier. At the age of fifteen he kills Grumby, the man responsible for his grandmother's death. As he matures watching the fighting and the effects of the war on Southerners, he becomes a less eager participant in the “glory.” At the age of twenty-four, Bayard is studying law and refuses to avenge through violence his father's death.
Ringo, Bayard's boyhood companion, the son of Sartoris slaves. He aids Bayard in shooting at the Yankee and in tracking and killing Grumby. He takes a more active role than Bayard in the plot to swindle mules from the Yankees and resell them for profit to other Yankee regiments. Unlike Bayard, he is ready to avenge the colonel's death.
Drusilla Hawk, Colonel Sartoris' second wife. After her fiancé is killed in the Civil War, Drusilla, with short hair and men's clothing, eagerly joins Colonel Sartoris in the war, fighting beside his men. After the war, she lives with the Sartoris family and helps rebuild the land, again working with men. Her mother and the women of Jefferson soon pressure her into marrying the colonel and accepting the traditional female role. After the colonel is killed, she encourages Bayard to avenge his death. She becomes hysterical when she realizes Bayard has no such intentions, but she leaves him a sprig of verbena when she knows he goes unarmed to meet the man who killed his father. She leaves Mississippi to live with her brother.
Ab Snopes, a poor neighbor of Colonel Sartoris who aids Granny and Ringo in their plot to steal mules from the Yankees. Mainly concerned with personal profit, he switches allegiances whenever profitable and leads Granny to her death.