This past December, I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a handful of books. Among them was a William Faulkner anthology called “Collected Stories.” I have personally been a fan of the author since I read “As I Lay Dying” in my early 20s and found the potential for literature cracking open. Given the girth of the volume, I knew it would be intimidating to just read the 42 short stories front to back, so instead I’ve decided to take my time. In doing so, I plan to cover one a week until completed. I will be using this space to share my opinions of each piece as well as any stray observations I may have picked up from the greater world of Faulkner mania.
By this point, it feels right to ask the question if the reader can understand Faulkner’s personal feelings towards the working class. Three stories into the Mississippian’s anthology, and they’ve all approached a similar set of characters in different dispositions. In each of these cases, there is an effort to address the working class struggle in such a way that it creates a more dimensional understanding of the time. While “Barn Burning” is set further back chronologically, “Shingles for the Lord” and “The Tall Men” each take place during The Great Depression. Even then, the ability to draw a direct line between Res Grier and Stuart McCallum is difficult since both aren’t being discussed equally.
For better or worse, “Shingles for the Lord” was a comedy full of mishaps that ended with a punchline. Even if the preceding pages still feature Faulkner’s penchant for symbolism and foreshadowing, the intent and purpose is more comic. There isn’t that much levity. Maybe it’s just the nature of “Collected Stories” being a highlight reel, but the tonal whiplash has been as fascinating as it is exhausting and confusing. “The Tall Men” is a story that yet again finds the author challenging form in a much different way from the first two. It’s not an elaborate tale that builds over time. It’s the story of characters meeting over one evening and having a simple heart to heart. While “Barn Burning” may have a more nuanced portrayal of the working class struggle, “The Tall Men” is such a nakedly compassionate plea. While some could go in expecting the story to have that familiar sense of tragic irony, Faulkner manages to turn burying an amputated leg into this profound and emotional moment. Whereas the previous works ultimately criticize the working class, “The Tall Men” at least feels like it provides some lenience this one time.
It starts with a fairly simple premise. Mr. Pearson and Mr. Gombault are arriving at The McCallum Ranch to determine why they aren’t complying. Much like “Shingles for the Lord,” the W.P.A. and President Roosevelt-era politics are at play, finding a need to revive the economy by having everyone do their part. Along with the looming threat of World War II, this visit has a lot of questions to be answered for. Why aren’t they signing up for the draft? Why are they shirking duties and still getting seeds for their farming? It doesn’t sound like things will end too well for this family, though then again that’s because Faulkner knows how to get the most out of an emotional reveal.
By focusing on Pearson and Gombault at first, there is an ambiguity that allows readers to judge. Having gone through two stories that are taken from the working class perspective, there is already an implicit bias in the reader to judge them for their faults. After all, Res Grier was a lovable bumbling fool who was proud of his misfortune. What do the McCallums have to compare? With the protagonists emerging from their car, there feels like this grand build-up to the reveal, like two police officers about to perform this heroic raid. They are the government, a form of the Workers Protection Agency, and they mean business.
If nothing else, this feels like the quickest that the plot has gotten going. Faulkner is a stickler for establishing atmosphere before really diving into the characters. By filling the opening with suspense, there’s enough room to allow the imagination to run wild. It also allows certain revelations to become clear about the outside world. For starters, the year is 1940 and WWII is on the horizon. The idea of not signing up for the draft is downright traitorous, especially in a more patriotic era of American history. Given that their father served in World War I, there’s more curiosity as to why they didn’t apply. Also, the effort to better the economy is prevalent in the theme, as they want to do everything to reward productivity and criminalize laziness.
But then it happens. With every member of the McCallum family introduced, new elements complicate the easy solution. Pearson and Gombault pretty much just have to slap them with a threat and walk out, but as they see what they are doing, there is something more sympathetic. The McCallums are suffering in their own way, notably with someone losing their leg in a tragic accident. There’s also the revelation that they do not take the handouts that many assume they do. They have their own system, and it looks to be doing them just fine.
The story pretty much becomes centered around the injury. One must wonder why anyone would want to remove these people from helping their own injured family. Faulkner creates sympathy in a situation not by throwing obstacles in the working class’ way, but the government. Will they be able to notice the struggle and not punish them? After all, The Great Depression had a terrible impact on the already lower class. If this was from the McCallum perspective, there’s a good chance that this would be nihilistic, having outsiders judge them for their faults. While it would give greater insight into their dynamic, there is something powerful about just looking from the outside and assuming their pain.
How do those with power judge those who don’t? If we were to stick morally to the law, would we be able to? On a certain level, the McCallums could be judged for every action. However, there is enough reason there to complicate. With that said, even if the story played out the same way from the McCallums' perspective, there’s a good chance that it also feels anticlimactic. The uncertainty leading to a sympathetic slap on the wrist lacks the greater weight if one is expecting the worst to always be happening. It’s a chance to believe in something resembling Americana, that everyone is working towards a positive change. If the government can find pity on the working man, then there’s room to move forward and build a more compassionate economy. Also, in the case of WWII, it allows for a tighter sense of bonding when war finally emerges.
As one can guess, the predictability of the story works against it. Those who are used to more complicated Faulkner tales will find it too straightforward, providing an ending that is satisfying but not at all the culmination of a challenge. While there are examples of him using the symbolism of tragedy, such as an amputated leg or the government vs. the working man, it’s all presented in a manner that seeks to reward everyone involved. Pearson is seen as a good person because he learns humanity without doing anything. As one of the two titular tall men, he needs to be a voice of reason, the belief that somebody is looking out for the working man.
Comparing the use of W.P.A. symbolism in “Shingles for the Lord” to “The Tall Men” shows why this one is underwhelming. Res Grier is a complicated figure not because he’s defined by misfortune, but by the willingness to keep working no matter what. He’s able to laugh off things like burning down a church and the reader likes him because there is a sense of empathy. The W.P.A. will help him no matter what. Comparatively, the McCallums are already tragic figures who need one good thing to happen. Even amid all of these details, there are not enough twists and turns to make them compelling drama. The right thing happens and there’s little pushing against the readers’ acceptance of it.
It's not a bad story, just lesser for an author like Faulkner. It’s at times too straightforward and doesn’t leave much to be excited by. The prose is more streamlined and it is satisfying as an experience, but the complexity is just not there. By this point, “The Tall Men” is more interesting as a time capsule of what it meant to be alive during The Great Depression, in the waning years before WWII shifted the entire conversation. It allows for a personal discussion on what it means to be struggling in a time when the country is trying to rebuild. What it lacks in exciting fiction it more than makes up for as just a symbol of what America strived to be at this time.
Which makes it interesting to note that, according to The Digital Yoknapatawpha Project, “The Tall Men” was written “with a clear financial imperative to pay off owed back taxes.” It’s a respectable goal, though very few do their best work under desperate measures. The story ended up published in The Saturday Evening Post in May 1941. While things paid off and he got that paycheck, the general reviews were middling, with many calling it didactic.
If there’s anything interesting going on with “The Tall Men,” it is the use of The McCallum Family. While this is the first example of them in “Collected Stories,” they are another long-term presence in his writing. They have made appearances in the novels “Flags in the Dust” and “As I Lay Dying” (spelled as MacCallum). After that, he would take a decade break before their appearance in “The Hamlet” and later five other texts. According to Faulkner, they are “yeomen” and made up of only men. They are farmers, hunters, horsemen, and soldiers. As one can presume from “The Tall Men,” other stories feature their journey through World War I. Like The Griers last time, The McCallums have a rich intertwining history in Faulkner’s other work, and maybe they will get a few mentions later in “Collected Stories.”
That raises an interesting query as to how future Faulkner tales will look. Given that a lot of these characters also appear in novels, there’s a chance that readers of the time benefited from completing the author’s work, reflecting on the changing tapestry of America. Between these three stories, there’s already a sense that the lower class is struggling, but there’s an effort to help them in times of need. Maybe families will return and interact in ways that make “The Tall Men” a much more substantial work. On its own, it’s just a story of a random family suffering some misfortune. Hopefully, Faulkner has a greater plan for The McCallums. Only time will tell.
Coming Up Next: "A Bear Hunt"
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