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.
The journey into “The Middle Ground” continues to be one of the most cryptic sections of the anthology so far. Even if they lack a familiarity akin to “The Wilderness” or “The Wasteland,” the stories all share this complicated relationship with their subject. Faulkner is more interested in using symbolism in this section, veering away from the conventional narrative style to find something that exists in stretching the imagination. For example, “Fox Hunt” is a story about a couple going for a fox hunt, but so little of the event is actually seen. Readers expecting another intimate story of a man taking on nature akin to Jack London will be greatly disappointed. However, what’s there instead is an interesting variation on the power of gossip and interpreting what others are thinking.
The writer has always been a fan of using narrators who are distant from the central action. It’s one of the reasons that “A Rose for Emily” is a masterpiece. In “Fox Hunt,” this is done through a narrative technique that takes a few pages to really find its footing. It opens with three stable boys retrieving mules. Given that they don’t factor into the rest of the story, it’s interesting that Faulkner begins this tale with them. It could suggest that even if the protagonist, Gawtrey, is a powerful man he needs others to work for him. He lacks independence, claiming that he’s able to catch a fox with his own hands and that the hunting dogs that he uses are mostly for detection, but nobody knows for sure. This all builds a damning portrait of the man, using others for his own benefit. He’s been chasing that fox for years now, and as the story progresses there is the suggestion that it’s maybe what’s kept him from committing to something more personal.
Another reason that using the stable boys as the opening could be the simple fact that they’re tending to his well-being while he isn’t. As their title suggests, they take care of animals and make sure that they’re ready for him. It could be seen as a symbol of how he treats his family, relying on others to fill their emotional needs. Also, there’s something rich in the double meaning of their position title. While Faulkner writes them in typical Negro dialect, the idea of them being stable suggests that there’s instability. Maybe Gawtrey thinks he’s in control but the environment around him has something else to say.
An interesting continuity between “Dr. Martino” and “Fox Hunt” is the use of horses to symbolize a sense of control and power. Whereas the previous story found the horse as overcoming fear, this one uses it to reflect a lack of control. As more parties watch Gawtrey take to the fields, there’s an awareness that he’s not the most seasoned rider, that he’s compensating. If he truly was capable of finding the fox, why does he need the dogs? A reliance on animals compensates for his own independence, and it may explain why he brings along his wife. What is she going to do that’s so useful? It gives off the suggestion that it’s all just for show.
The heart of the story is told from the perspective of a chauffeur and another man. Given that “Dr. Martino” shared a similar approach, one can question the reliability of their conversation, but it’s also because of how distant the reader is from the central figures. There’s also not enough room in the short story to suggest that these people are lying. What is there is there and it paints a portrait of a married couple that is far from the pleasant happy portrait that this fox hunt is going to suggest.
The chauffeur is a source of reliability likely because he’s assumingly always present in their everyday actions. Given that he suggests that Gawtrey can’t recall his own soul, he might lack the morality and focus that is necessary to make this story pop. A Goodreads review suggested that this section was designed like an Abbott and Costello routine, though I personally have trouble seeing it as a comic routine. Maybe it’s just being lost in translation, but the idea of infidelity feels more tragic than funny. There’s many details where Gawtrey tests his marriage and ultimately comes up empty-handed.
The one that is the most telling however is the one where his daughter asks for a horse. At this point, Gawtrey has his own and is doing a decent job of training it. However, he ignores her request at all costs. When complaints get too much, he settles on ripping out a carousel horse and sticking it on the front porch. It’s a macabre scene that reflects the artificiality that he sees for others. They don’t deserve this real, living and breathing sensation that he does. They have to settle for something artificial that may be designed like the real thing, but is anything but. Given that he’s recently killed a fox that he’s been prizing, one has to wonder if he’ll finally turn his eyes to fulfilling their wants or if he’s going to simply find another thing to set his eyes on.
If there’s one thing to be said about “Fox Hunt,” it’s that the chauffeur’s story feels different than most of Faulkner’s narrators. He’s allowed to be lengthy and tell these stories that hold a variety of emotional weights. However, as a reader, it's maybe the most tedious story that he's written in “Collected Stories” so far. Since the action is happening outside the page, there isn’t this chance to really dig into a compare and contrast. Once Gawtrey rides off into the field, the audience is stuck having to believe that this man is telling the truth. It’s frankly dull and mostly feels like yet another toxic masculinity story that Faulkner has done so much better elsewhere. At most there’s an interesting conflict in Gawtrey eventually having to accept that he can’t run away from his family and is stuck with them, but there has to be more. Is the horse really that valuable that he can’t just find another one elsewhere with someone that makes him happy?
The best that I can assume is that “Fox Hunt” is supposed to be his commentary on the emotional integrity of the wealthy elite. He is curious to look into their lives but only has the middle and lower classes to look through. It makes sense given most of his audience may be distant from even being in attendance. However, what is it saying that’s as brilliantly layered as “A Rose for Emily,” where the layers are slowly peeled back and then the defensiveness is gone, leaving behind something grotesque. There is something miserable about Gawtrey being stuck in this bad relationship, but none of it really makes for a satisfying read. Even “Dr. Martino” feels like a better reflection of how two people can ultimately be the worst influence on each other.
With that said, this did lead to a very interesting research process. The general concept of a horse symbolizing this power status reminded me of this great movie called The Nest (2020) which better emphasized how a family felt torn apart by wealth. It’s not related to “Fox Hunt,” but it’s easy to see both families falling in similar circles at some point. Also, Faulkner has an interesting history with horse riding and fox hunts that add a nice tragic foreshadowing to all of these stories of men on horses. Given how much of them are about falling off of horses, it’s amazing to note that the death of one of America’s greatest authors was in part related to this act.
If it wasn’t going to be a war plane falling from the sky, it makes sense that a horse would be what kills Faulkner. While he grew up somewhat introverted and strapped for cash, he eventually gained enough acclaim and success in his career to warrant a status alongside the elite. This included being invited to clubs Keswick and Farmington where he got to participate in various events. Falling off the horse comes with the territory, but in one fatal case, he broke his ribs. While he didn’t necessarily die from sudden impact, there were complications that caused the aging author to meet his demise. In that regard, “Fox Hunt” does have some tragic undertones that suggest the futility of trying to belong to a club full of people that feel emotionally distant. Compared to every other story, I find a coldness in “Fox Hunt” that makes it difficult to fully latch onto.
While I’m sure there are stories that achieve less interesting ideas in their text, “Fox Hunt” is shaping up to be one of my least favorite stories in “Collected Stories” so far. As much as it uses some clever ideas like horses and foxes to depict a man insecure with his own stability, there isn’t enough there to make this an engrossing experience. The dialogue is largely turgid and drags at points, keeping this from feeling like anything significant happens. That may be the point, but Faulkner has proven a few times that he’s been able to make gossip work as this page turning treat. This is fine and has enough moments to reflect an author still thriving with creativity, but as the final page suggests, everyone just wants to go to the party and have some hoe-cakes. It’s time to move on with our lives and leave this trivial act behind.
Coming Up Next: "Pennsylvania Station"
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