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Henry Hawkshaw
Will Mayes is a black man who lives in Jefferson, works at the ice factory, and has been accused of sexually assaulting a white woman, Minnie Cooper. It is unclear whether the rumor is true, and Mayes seems genuinely confused when confronted with an angry mob of white men who are out to kill him. Henry Hawkshaw knows Will, vouches for his character, and believes he is innocent; there will be no way to find out the truth, however, because the men in the barber shop have already decided on his guilt. As a black man in Jefferson, Mayes’s word is worth next to nothing, and not a single person bothers to ask him about the incident. This character evokes a good deal of sympathy: he is diligently working at the ice factory on a Saturday night, and when the mob of men drags him out to the car, he maintains a deferential manner right up until he is handcuffed and beaten. Even the one man who believes him to be innocent is unable to help him; as Mayes calls to Hawkshaw for help, the barber jumps from the car to escape the imminent violence. Mayes’s implied death is emblematic of the powerlessness of black men in this society, and in fact the rumor of his murder sends such a strong message to the black men of Jefferson that they are completely absent from public areas of town that evening.
Will Mayes Quotes in Dry September
The Dry September quotes below are all either spoken by Will Mayes or refer to Will Mayes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 1 Quotes
“Except it wasn't Will Mayes,” a barber said. He was a thin, sand-colored man with a mild face, who was shaving a client. “I know Will Mayes. He's a
good nigger. And I know Miss Minnie Cooper, too.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
At the beginning of the story, as men in the barber shop discuss the room that Will Mayes assaulted or insulted Minnie Cooper, the barber (Henry Hawkshaw) immediately asserts that Will Mayes is innocent. This is based on his character assessments of both Mayes and Cooper; he argues that Mayes is incapable of this kind of thing and implies that Minnie Cooper, as an unmarried middle-aged white woman, is not likely to be the victim of unwanted sexual contact. Hawkshaw’s assertion introduces the theme of reputation. The men in the barber shop have no actual information about the rumor and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligen
“It's this durn weather,” another said. “It's enough to make a man do anything.”
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Faulkner begins his story by noting that it hasn’t rained for more than two months in Jefferson, and as the conversation in the barbershop gets increasingly tense, an unnamed speaker suggests that the current stifling weather can make people do crazy things. This commentary on the weather and its effects on the people of Jefferson offers surprising insight into the actions of nearly all of the characters in the story. Even the title of the story, “Dry September,” emphasizes the dramatic importance of the environmental conditions. Historically, this story takes place during a time of prolonged droughts in the American Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit
“Well,” he said, “are you going to sit there and let a black son rape a white woman on the streets of Jefferson?”
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This is John McLendon’s comment as he bursts into the barber shop, and it marks a pivotal moment in the first part of the story. Before McLendon’s arrival, the men are discussing the Cooper-Mayes rumor as casual and disinterested observers; McLendon’s arrival and subsequent comments are a sharp call to action, and in a short period, nearly all of the men in the barber shop leave with him to retaliate against Mayes. McLendon establishes himself as a man of action, and the few words he uses are significant. While no one knows specifically what may have happened between Will and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inven
Part 3 Quotes
“Kill him, kill the black son!” the voice murmured. They dragged the Negro to the car. The barber had waited beside the car. He could feel himself sweating and he knew he was going to be sick at the stomach. “What is it, captains?” the Negro said. “I ain't done nothing. ‘Fore God, Mr John.” Someone produced handcuffs.
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This conversation between Will Mayes and an unidentified speaker is happening while Mayes is being abducted from his job at the ice factory by the mob of angry men who will eventually kill him. The men are so intent on violence that they want to kill him immediately, right outside of his place of work, rather than taking the time to drive him to more private location. Clearly, they believe their violence to be justified, as the men have no fear of punishment by local authorities. In fact, the handcuffs may belong to a member of law enforcement taking part Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferen
“Let me out, John,” he said. “Jump out, nigger-lover,” McLendon said without turning his head.
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This exchange with McLendon marks a pivotal moment in the story for Henry Hawkshaw. The barber has spent the entire story defending Will Mayes and trying to insert some sense of rationality into this angry mob of men, following them from the barber shop to their cars and joining them as they abduct Mayes. As the men are driving out of town towards a secluded spot, however, he realizes that he has failed in his attempts to reason with the angry mob. While he may be a rational and principled man, Hawkshaw is not a hero in this story, and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Lib
Part 4 Quotes
“Do you feel strong enough to go out?” they said, their eyes bright too, with a dark glitter. “When you have had time to get over the shock, you must tell us what happened. What he said and did; everything.”
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Minnie’s friends come to visit her and help her prepare to go downtown for a social outing to the movies; in reality, however, they are curious about Minnie’s emotional state after the rumors and hungry for gossip about the events themselves. Rumor and gossip play a significant role in the lives of the townspeople, in part because so much of their livelihoods depends on social status, and in part because there is not much else to keep them occupied. It is possible that Minnie invented the entire story in a bid for attention and social advancement, and if so, she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impe
“That's the one: see? The one in pink in the middle.” “Is that her? What did they do with the nigger? Did they?” “Sure. He's all right.” “All right, is he?” “Sure. He went on a little trip.”
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This is a snippet of conversation between two men in the town square, possibly overheard by Minnie Cooper as she walks downtown with her friends to the movies. This is the same evening that the rumors have surfaced, and Minnie is an object of curiosity for the people of Jefferson. As a middle-aged woman, Minnie had become all but invisible to the men in town, but this rumor had caused them to notice her again. The first speaker points her out, identifying her by the color of her dress to his friend, who had no idea who she was. They Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hi
“Do you see?” the friends said. Their voices sounded like long, hovering sighs of hissing exultation. “There's not a Negro on the square. Not one.”
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This comment by Minnie’s friends refers to the effect of Will Mayes’s murder on the black men of Jefferson. The angry mob in the barber shop was intent on killing a black man send a message to the black population of the town, and that is exactly what happens. In the end, it did not matter whether or not it was Mayes who attacked Minnie Cooper, or whether the incident happened at all; this act of vigilante violence was just another expression of racial domination, allowing the white men of Jefferson to exert power over black men. The constant threat Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta
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Will Mayes Character Timeline in Dry September
The timeline below shows where the character Will Mayes appears in Dry September. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1
...the rumor, linking a local white woman, Minnie Cooper, with a black man named Will Mayes.
(full context)
The barber, Henry Hawkshaw, does not believe that Mayes was involved, insisting that he is “a good nigger.” Minnie is an unmarried woman of...
(full context)
Hawkshaw continues to defend Mayes’s innocence and suggests that they gather evidence and go to the authorities, but nearly all...
(full context)
Part 3
...and the other men, who are driving out to the ice factory to find Will Mayes at work. Hawkshaw attempts to explain that since Mayes has not yet fled, that means...
(full context)
Mayes, who works as the night watchman, comes out of the ice factory at McLendon’s insistence....
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In the car, Mayes is sandwiched in the back seat next to Hawkshaw, pulling his arms and legs in...
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Part 4
On the same night as Will Mayes’s abduction, Minnie Cooper dresses to go out. She is trembling, feverish and nervous, and her...
(full context)
...to notice her and to discuss the rumor, as well as the new rumor that Mayes “went on a little trip.” At the same time, Minnie’s friends note that there are...
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