The Unvanquished by William Faulkner

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In the novel The Unvanquished, written by William Faulkner, honor is dealt with first hand throughout the novel. In some cases, like Ab Snopes, there is a major lack of honor. But the characters Bayard and his Grandmother, Granny, have honor, and lots of it. Though Granny dies, it is an honorable death that brings out honor in Bayard. Bayard is a young man and is changing, as he grows so does his honor. When in the end he displays his honor in many different ways. Ab Snopes is a conniving devious character that is only in the war for booty. Ab never shows true honor in this novel, and possibly anywhere because he has no honor. Honor plays a key part in this novel and is vividly shown by each character.

Granny takes care of Bayard and his black friend Ringo for most of the book. She dealt with hard times, and had to do some bad things, but she did it honorably, and taught the two boys about honor. Granny ran a business with Bayard Ringo where they stole mules and horses from the Yankees, then sold them back. She was a southern woman, and this was her way of fighting the war. Because she needed the boys help to do this, they had to do some sinful things. Granny took the burden of the sins: “I have sinned. I have stolen and I have born false wittiness against my neighbor, though that neighbor was an enemy of my country. And more than that, I have caused these children to sin. I hereby take their sin upon my conscience” (Faulkner 148). Though she is being a good grandmother, she is also taking the sin of two extra people. Granny shows honor here by taking the sins of the boys. Granny also showed the boys that it was not all right to steal.

When Granny walks into a situation unarmed to get some horses she demonstrates honor because she says to the boys that the men won’t harm a woman, she knows that she could die: “And now I am taking no risk: I am a woman. Even Yankees do not harm old women. You and Ringo stay here until I call you. We tried. I keep on saying that because I know now I didn’t” (Faulkner 153). Though she did die, it was not a dishonorable death.

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