Son of a Fish:
A Boy named Vardaman
Jade Miller (FM), Sean Relyea (WG) Hanne Santanam (FM)
We found that the name Vardaman could have been derived from multiple sources:
The only historical figure we could find that shared his name was James K. Vardaman. Considering his location and time frame, it is likely that Faulkner took him into consideration. However, after some research, we believe that he could only have done it to juxtapose the two, possibly for the purpose of mocking the politician. Here is some information on him:
Works Cited
"Name Meanings in As I Lay Dying." http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/f/Names+in+As+I+Lay+Dying.pdf>.
www.houseofnames.com. Swyrich Corporation, 24 Aug. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <https://www.houseofnames.com/Vardaman-history?A=54323-292>.
PBS Group. www.pbs.org. Alfred P Sloan Foundation, 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/flood-vardaman/>.
Sansing, David G. http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/. Ed. Mississippi Historical Society. N.p., Jan. 2004. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?s=extra&id=137."Evolution 3." www.photobucket.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae52/sifuphiltoo/Evolution_3.jpg>.
- Vard comes from the Scottish "ward", which translates to underage orphan. This is especially fitting, since Vardaman lost his mother and had Anse for a father
- Vard is also from the English "ward", which means guard or guardian. This could be interpreted as the way he seems to feel about his mother's body, or, and it's a bit of a long shot, that he is in a prison of his family, looking in and trying to control and understand the chaos.
- Vard from the word "verdant" meaning green or ripening. This is especially true, since throughout the novel we watch Vardaman struggle to understand his surroundings.
The only historical figure we could find that shared his name was James K. Vardaman. Considering his location and time frame, it is likely that Faulkner took him into consideration. However, after some research, we believe that he could only have done it to juxtapose the two, possibly for the purpose of mocking the politician. Here is some information on him:
- The Governor of Mississippi 1904-1908 and a US Senator representing Mississippi from 1913-1919.
- While in office, he opposed WWI, which led to his defeat in re-election for the Senate
- He rode to power on a wave of white populism and racist politics
- Vardaman was known for being a powerful and ominous presence
- He advocated for a policy of lynching and was known as the "Great White Chief"..."If it is necessary every negro in the state will be lynched; it will be to maintain white supremacy"
- Believed blacks should remain in economic servitude and that education was unnecessary for the kind of work they were going to do
- He manipulated racial hatred for his own political gain
- Although popular in his home state, Vardaman was not liked in the Senate
- Won 74/75 counties in Mississippi when he ran for senate, showing the overwhelming approval of his beliefs and policies in Mississippi
- Died on June 25, 1930
- There is a town in Calhoun County, Mississippi named after him
Works Cited
"Name Meanings in As I Lay Dying." http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <http://shslboyd.pbworks.com/f/Names+in+As+I+Lay+Dying.pdf>.
www.houseofnames.com. Swyrich Corporation, 24 Aug. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <https://www.houseofnames.com/Vardaman-history?A=54323-292>.
PBS Group. www.pbs.org. Alfred P Sloan Foundation, 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/flood-vardaman/>.
Sansing, David G. http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/. Ed. Mississippi Historical Society. N.p., Jan. 2004. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?s=extra&id=137."Evolution 3." www.photobucket.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae52/sifuphiltoo/Evolution_3.jpg>.