Red Leaves PDF

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“Red Leaves” William Faulkner A Faulkner Reader (1954) - Preface: “The job of all writers is saying no to death”; That’s what this story is about (how one man says no to death) Section I: Time Present - The Chief (Ikkemotubbe’s son) is dead and the new Chief (Mokketube) will now takeover - The Old Chief must get what he needs in the next world (horse, dog, and servant) - When Ikkemotubbe’s died, the servant ran away - Now this new servant will have to try to say no to death again - Through “Hostile Eyes” we see there are three things wrong with black culture: o (52) They sweat too much (almost as bad as white people)  Indian people don’t sweat as much, shouldn’t have to mingle with the gross sweaty people o They taste bitter  They were no angles  Some practice human sacrifice, cannibalism o These people don’t like to die  Utterly shameful  (53) “It took us three days to find the slave”  If only the servant had a sense of honor and decorum Section II: Flashback to Ikkemotubbe’s Time - Been only born a sub-chief - Love story (find out why he is in such a rush to become the Man) o Used this superior male status to pursue a woman o Gets her pregnant and she chases him up the MS River o By the time she gets here he better be the Man o (55) “Four Indians met her with a horse and wagon, and they traveled for three days, slowly, since she was already big with child, to the plantation, where she found that Doom was now chief. o (57) Issetibbeha gets a new identity symbol  Pair of slippers (unfortunately a pair of woman’s slippers) Section III: The Pursuit is Going On Section IV: Runaway’s Life - (65) Servant knows he couldn’t say no to death and hears two voice dialogue (his own voices)

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o "So he is not dead yet," the Negro said into the whispering gloom of the loft, answering himself; he could hear the two voices, himself and himself: "Who not dead?" "You are dead." "Yao, I am dead," he said quietly. Sees the dog and the horse and the man and so he runs (30 miles before he stops) (68) Comes and attends his own funeral service o “The dead do not console with the living” (69) The divided man o Something in him rises up and says no to death o “That I do not wish to die”

Section V: - Took 6 days to capture the runaway - “Tomorrow is just another name for today” o Patient in finding the runaway slave - “Dawn came; a white crane flapped slowly across the jonquil sky. Basket was awake. "Let us go now," he said. "It is today." - “Before they reached the Negro they stopped, because he began to sing o Giving a ceremony to his last sunrise (sacred ceremony) o This man is reverting back to his boyhood in Africa - “You ran well. Do not be ashamed” o They credit his effort to say no to death Section VI: - “The Negro was the tallest there” – like Jesus in Gesemone - He could not eat because his throat was so constricted with fear - “Come” o A LOADED verb (subtle, sophisticated) o And have your throat sliced - Bread and water – like the last supper - Keeps attempting to drink the water to buy more time even though he isn’t actually drinking anything -

"Come," Basket said, taking the gourd from the Negro and hanging it back in the well. o His last weapon was taken away...