Should We Pity Dewey Dell?
"I said if it don't mean for me to do it the sack will not be full and I will turn up the next row but if the sack is full, I cannot help it." (Faulkner, pg.27)
This in text quote states Dewey Dell's agreement to Lafe's preposition; isn't her agreement her consent? Here Dewey agrees to his bet, against her better judgment, and this concludes with Dewey and Lafe having coitus. In this section, we find it difficult to have pity for this young woman, as she did give consent and could have simply not accepted the proposition. However, we do find pity in her predicament due to her time and setting, as actually having an abortion is an immense hardship, let alone having one as a 17 year old young woman in the American South circa 1920.
While many readers may find pity in Dewey Dell's situation, it may be lost after her first encounter with MacGowan, as their agreement for her treatment is completed.
"You've had the same operation before. Ever hear about the hair of a dog?"
She looks at me. "Will it work?" she says.
"Sure it'll work. If you come back and get it." (Faulkner pg. 247)
Here she is once again tricked into having sexual relations with a man, this time the act will supposedly eliminate the first mistake. This is where we and many other readers are reluctant to pity Dewey Dell or immediately deem her innocent. Now, we realize this argument may be rejected, even disliked, yet textual evidence of consent is presented and with every novel comes a plethora of viewpoints.
This in text quote states Dewey Dell's agreement to Lafe's preposition; isn't her agreement her consent? Here Dewey agrees to his bet, against her better judgment, and this concludes with Dewey and Lafe having coitus. In this section, we find it difficult to have pity for this young woman, as she did give consent and could have simply not accepted the proposition. However, we do find pity in her predicament due to her time and setting, as actually having an abortion is an immense hardship, let alone having one as a 17 year old young woman in the American South circa 1920.
While many readers may find pity in Dewey Dell's situation, it may be lost after her first encounter with MacGowan, as their agreement for her treatment is completed.
"You've had the same operation before. Ever hear about the hair of a dog?"
She looks at me. "Will it work?" she says.
"Sure it'll work. If you come back and get it." (Faulkner pg. 247)
Here she is once again tricked into having sexual relations with a man, this time the act will supposedly eliminate the first mistake. This is where we and many other readers are reluctant to pity Dewey Dell or immediately deem her innocent. Now, we realize this argument may be rejected, even disliked, yet textual evidence of consent is presented and with every novel comes a plethora of viewpoints.