Wash by William Faulkner
"Wash" is a short story by William Faulkner, set in the Southern United States in the year 1872. The narrative unfolds primarily through the experiences of Wash Jones, a poor white man who is caught in the web of social and personal complexities surrounding Thomas Sutpen, a wealthy plantation owner. The story opens with a stark contrast between Sutpen's treatment of his newly born colt and the daughter born to Milly Jones, Wash's granddaughter, highlighting themes of gender and value within patriarchal dynamics.
Faulkner explores the deterioration of both Sutpen's estate and his character, revealing how both the man and his property have fallen into ruin after the Civil War. As the plot progresses, Wash grapples with his admiration for Sutpen and the painful realization of Sutpen's true nature, especially after the birth of Milly's daughter, which Sutpen views with disdain. The emotional climax occurs when Wash, driven by a mixture of pride, anger, and desperation, ultimately confronts Sutpen, leading to violence and tragic consequences.
The story is rich in symbolism, particularly through the rusty scythe that represents death and the cycle of life in a harsh reality. Faulkner's narrative method blends past and present, offering readers insight into the characters' histories and the socio-economic conditions of the time. Overall, "Wash" is a poignant exploration of themes such as class struggle, family loyalty, and the moral ambiguities that define human relationships.
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Wash by William Faulkner
First published: 1934
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: 1872
Locale: Sutpen's Hundred, Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi
Principal Characters:
Wash Jones , the protagonist, a poor white manThomas Sutpen , an arrogant, ambitious, disillusioned owner of a ruined plantationMilly Jones , Wash's granddaughterMilly's newborn daughter An old black Woman , a midwife
The Story
The opening page and a half, set in 1872 at dawn on Sunday morning, presents all principal characters except Wash Jones. It begins with Thomas Sutpen standing above the pallet where Milly Jones and her child lie; Sutpen's arrogance is seen in his stance, with whip in hand, as he looks down on the mother and child. His mare has also given birth; the contrast between his attitude toward the colt and toward his and Milly's child presents the central problem of the story: The mare has borne a male; Milly, a female. If Milly were a mare, he would provide better quarters for her. Leaving the run-down fishing shack, he walks past his rusty scythe, which Wash Jones, Milly's grandfather, borrowed three months earlier. The scythe will become important both as a symbol and as an instrument of death.
The third-person narrator now embarks on a six-page digression, recounting events from 1861, when Colonel Sutpen rode away to fight in the "War Between the States," until his return to a ruined plantation in 1865, and through the years 1865 to 1870, when Sutpen and Wash together ran a country store and drank "inferior whiskey." There is reference to Sutpen's son, "killed in action the same winter in which his wife had died," and to Wash's grandchild. Emphasis is placed on the deterioration not only of Sutpen's property but also of his person. Even though he still rides the same black stallion and presents, at least to the naïve, worshipful Wash, a proud image, he is now a storekeeper best characterized by misplaced pride, unconcern for others, and habitual drunkenness.
Wash is characterized throughout this section as a poor white in both the literal and the connotative meanings of the term. For many years, he has lived in the deteriorated shack by the slough on the plantation, the object of scorn by whites and blacks alike. While Sutpen was away, Wash pretended to have the responsibility of taking care of Sutpen's place, but he was careful never to enter Sutpen's house. After the return, he achieved entry by carrying the drunken Sutpen in and putting him to bed. Wash has closed his eyes to the fact that Sutpen has been seducing Milly, as evidenced by the pretty ribbons she has worn around her waist. When Wash confronts Sutpen with the fact of Milly's new dress, the subject changes to whether Wash is afraid of Sutpen. The conversation and the digression end with Wash saying that Sutpen will make it right.
The last nine pages return to 1872 and the main narrative, the scene at the cabin on that Sunday when the mare's colt and Milly's girl are born. As Wash watches Milly and the black midwife, he thinks of Sutpen, admiring the man, and of the new relationship that will exist between him and Sutpen. He hears the sound of Sutpen riding up; the midwife announces that the baby is a girl; and it is dawn. Wash's pride in being a great-grandfather is balanced against the problem of telling Sutpen that the newborn child is a girl.
The words Sutpen speaks and the attitude he shows toward Milly and the baby cause Wash to realize Sutpen's true character for the first time. As Wash approaches, Sutpen lashes him with the whip. Wash then kills Sutpen with the rusty scythe. Wash is occupied through the day with tender care for Milly and with watching at the window. After a white boy discovers the body, Wash waits for the men to come. After dark, the gentle Wash once again becomes violent, killing Milly and the baby with a butcher knife, setting fire to the cabin, and attacking the sheriff's posse silently with the rusty scythe.
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