The Town - William Faulkner
Summary "The Town" is the second novel in William Faulkner's Snopes trilogy, chronicling the further ascent of Flem Snopes from a poor whit...
Summary
"The Town" is the second novel in William Faulkner's Snopes trilogy, chronicling the further ascent of Flem Snopes from a poor white tenant farmer to a powerful, amoral financial figure in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County town of Jefferson, Mississippi. The story follows Flem, his sensual wife Eula, and their supposed daughter Linda as they arrive in Jefferson. Through cunning, manipulation, and exploiting the vulnerabilities of others, Flem systematically undermines the established social order and gains control of the town's bank. The novel extensively details the long-standing affair between Eula and Jefferson's mayor, Manfred de Spain, and the unrequited love Gavin Stevens holds for Eula. It explores the moral decay accompanying Flem's rise, as various Snopes relatives infest the town with their own brand of avarice and small-time criminality. The narrative culminates in Eula's tragic suicide, which Flem orchestrates for his ultimate financial gain, and Linda's eventual departure from Jefferson, seeking an escape from her family's shadow. Told through the shifting perspectives of Gavin Stevens, V.K. Ratliff, and Charles Mallison, the novel examines the clash between traditional Southern values and the ruthless pragmatism of the emerging modern era.
Book Sections
Section 1: Arrival in Jefferson and Initial Infiltration
The story begins with the Snopes family, specifically Flem, his wife Eula, and their infant daughter Linda, relocating from Frenchmen's Bend to Jefferson. Flem has secured a seemingly minor position as a clerk in the Varner bank, owned by his father-in-law, Will Varner. This move marks Flem's initial step into the established society of Jefferson, but his true ambitions are far greater than a mere clerkship. Almost immediately, other members of the sprawling, amoral Snopes clan begin to follow him to town, attracted by the possibility of exploiting Jefferson's opportunities. These include Montgomery Ward Snopes, who sets up a disreputable "art studio" featuring a peep show. The presence of these Snopeses, particularly their lack of traditional morality and their opportunistic nature, begins to subtly corrupt the fabric of the town.
| Character | Characteristics | Motivations |
|---|---|---|
| Flem Snopes | Amoral, cunning, stoic, ambitious, ruthless, entirely devoid of emotion, speaks rarely, always observing and planning. | To gain wealth, power, and social standing in Jefferson; to systematically dismantle the established order for his own benefit. |
| Eula Varner Snopes | Extremely beautiful, sensual, earthy, passive, indifferent to Flem's machinations, carries herself with a natural, almost elemental allure. | To live a life of simple sensuality, seeking passion and affection largely absent from her marriage to Flem. |
| Linda Snopes | Infant at this stage, represents the innocent product of a morally complex situation, future catalyst for change. | Unconscious; her existence serves as a pawn in Flem's larger schemes and a source of Eula's deep, protective love. |
| Gavin Stevens | Highly educated, intellectual, articulate, moral, idealistic, obsessed with justice and the purity of Southern ideals, often acts as a moral conscience. | To protect Jefferson from the Snopeses' corruption, to understand and intellectualize Eula's beauty and tragedy, to pursue justice. |
| V.K. Ratliff | Shrewd, pragmatic, observant, itinerant sewing machine salesman, possesses a keen understanding of human nature and Flem's machinations. | To observe and comment on the Snopes phenomenon, offering a grounded, cynical yet moral perspective, often serves as a Greek chorus. |
| Charles Mallison | Gavin Stevens's nephew, younger narrator, represents the next generation grappling with the Snopes invasion. | To understand the history of his community and the Snopes family's impact, learning from his uncle and Ratliff. |
| Montgomery Ward Snopes | Nephew of Flem, morally lax, opportunistic, operates a seedy peep show. | To make money through illicit means, exploit the moral laxity or curiosity of others. |
| Manfred de Spain | Mayor of Jefferson, war hero, handsome, charismatic, represents the established, albeit flawed, power structure. | To maintain his position and enjoy the privileges of power; driven by desire, particularly for Eula. |
Section 2: Flem's Ascent to Banking Power
Flem quickly moves beyond his initial clerk position, demonstrating an uncanny ability to understand and manipulate the intricacies of finance and human greed. He uses his position at the bank to initiate a series of carefully orchestrated schemes. He "sells" a worthless, dilapidated farm (the Old Frenchman place) that he acquired in "The Hamlet" to Byron Snopes, a bank clerk and his kinsman, in exchange for Byron's shares in the bank. Flem then exposes Byron's embezzlement from the bank, forcing him to flee town and leaving Flem with Byron's shares and a clear path to becoming a director. This is a pattern of his operations: provide a perceived opportunity to a less cunning Snopes, then expose their inevitable corruption or failure, thus acquiring their assets or positions. Through such machinations, Flem steadily climbs the ladder at the Varner bank, moving from clerk to director, and eventually to vice president, all while remaining outwardly inscrutable.
Section 3: Eula's Affair and Gavin's Unrequited Love
While Flem relentlessly pursues financial power, Eula, neglected and emotionally starved by her husband, enters into a passionate, long-term affair with Manfred de Spain, the charismatic and dashing mayor of Jefferson. This affair becomes an open secret in the town, a scandalous counterpoint to Flem's quiet, insidious rise. Gavin Stevens, who harbored an almost spiritual, unrequited love for Eula, finds himself deeply troubled by this liaison. He attempts to protect Eula and Linda from the inevitable consequences of the affair and from Flem's malevolence, often acting as a self-appointed guardian, though his efforts are largely futile. He is torn between his moral indignation and his profound admiration for Eula's natural beauty and vitality.
Section 4: The Montgomery Ward Snopes Scandal
Flem continues to consolidate his power and rid the town of "inconvenient" Snopeses. Montgomery Ward Snopes's peep show, which involves obscene photographs, eventually causes a scandal. This provides Flem with an opportunity. Instead of directly acting against his kinsman, Flem subtly allows the town's moral outrage to build, ultimately leading to Montgomery Ward's arrest and imprisonment. Flem then facilitates Montgomery Ward's escape, making it appear that Montgomery Ward has fled town, thus removing another troublesome relative and avoiding any direct accusation of Snopes-on-Snopes betrayal. This incident demonstrates Flem's masterful ability to use the town's own moral compass and legal system as tools for his personal agenda.
Section 5: The Fall of Manfred de Spain
Flem's ultimate goal is to become president of the bank. Manfred de Spain, now president, stands in his way. Flem meticulously uncovers evidence of de Spain's embezzlement of town funds, a secret known only to Flem and used as leverage. Flem presents de Spain with an ultimatum: either resign from the bank presidency, leaving the position open for Flem, or face public exposure and ruin. De Spain, his reputation and freedom on the line, chooses to resign and leaves Jefferson, having been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Flem. This strategic victory clears the path for Flem to finally become the president of the bank, marking the culmination of his long-held financial ambition in Jefferson.
Section 6: Eula's Sacrifice and Linda's Departure
With Flem's triumph, the long-standing dynamic between Eula, de Spain, and Flem comes to a tragic head. Flem reveals to Eula that he intends to use the affair and Linda's true paternity (Linda is de Spain's biological daughter, not Flem's) to secure an even greater financial settlement from de Spain, which would publicly disgrace both Eula and Linda. To protect Linda from this scandal and to free her to pursue a better life, Eula makes the ultimate sacrifice: she commits suicide. Her death is presented as a final act of love and defiance against Flem's dehumanizing calculations. Gavin Stevens, who had always loved Eula, is devastated. Following her mother's death, Linda, now a young woman, decides to leave Jefferson to pursue an education and a new life in New York, seeking to escape the oppressive shadow of her family's past and her stepfather's influence.
| Character | Characteristics | Motivations |
|---|---|---|
| Linda Snopes Kohl | Intelligent, sensitive, determined, eventually politically conscious and seeking independence. | To escape her past and Flem's influence, to find purpose and meaning beyond the confines of Jefferson. |
Literary Genre: Southern Gothic, Modernist, Saga, Social Realism.
Author Facts:
- William Faulkner (1897-1962) was an American writer, widely regarded as one of the most important novelists of the American South and a Nobel Prize laureate.
- He is best known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a setting that provides a comprehensive and complex tableau of the American South.
- His work often explores themes of history, race, family, social class, and the decline of the Old South.
- Faulkner was known for his experimental narrative techniques, including stream of consciousness, multiple narrators, and complex chronology.
- "The Town" is the second novel in the Snopes trilogy, which also includes "The Hamlet" (1940) and "The Mansion" (1959).
Moral of the Book:
"The Town" profoundly explores the corrosive nature of unchecked ambition and greed, exemplified by Flem Snopes's amoral rise to power. It illustrates how traditional societal values, honor, and even love can be systematically undermined and exploited by a ruthless pragmatist. The novel also suggests the tragic consequences of passivity and moral compromise in the face of such malevolence. While the old order decays, the book questions what, if anything, can withstand the relentless tide of modern, opportunistic forces, highlighting the vulnerability of human connection and integrity in a world driven by self-interest.
Curiosities of the Book:
- Multi-Voiced Narration: Unlike many of Faulkner's novels, "The Town" is primarily narrated by three distinct voices: Gavin Stevens (the intellectual idealist), V.K. Ratliff (the shrewd pragmatist and folk philosopher), and Charles Mallison (the younger, more innocent observer). This allows for a multifaceted and sometimes contradictory perspective on the events and characters.
- Snopes Trilogy: It is the middle novel of a trilogy focusing on the Snopes family, a clan that personifies the "new" South's opportunistic and amoral drive, clashing with the "old" South's more traditional (though often flawed) values.
- Continuation of Yoknapatawpha: The novel is deeply embedded in Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County, with characters and events often referencing or directly continuing plots from other works, particularly "The Hamlet."
- Faulkner's Later Work: "The Town" was published relatively late in Faulkner's career (1957) and is sometimes seen as a more accessible entry point into his complex literary world, though it retains his signature themes and stylistic density.
- Flem Snopes's Silence: Flem Snopes is famously taciturn throughout the trilogy. His power lies not in his words, but in his calculated actions and his uncanny ability to manipulate others without overt communication.
