Timeline   Glossary   Additional Resources   Bibliographies   Biographies   Genealogical Charts

People, Places, and Events

A Faulkner Glossary

Collected here are brief definitions, descriptions, and additional information about the major characters, places, and other events in Faulkner’s fiction.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A Note about method: This glossary is a compilation of people, places, and other terms present in the written work of William Faulkner. Sources for the information presented here are the works themselves and several secondary sources listed below. At present, terms are indexed for works published during Faulkner’s lifetime; indexing for posthumously published works (Uncollected Stories, for instance) is forthcoming. Where inconsistences exist among named characters and places, I have attempted to illuminate such inconsistencies, as in the entry for Ikkemotubbe. Following Faulkner’s practice in "Mississippi" and other works of treating fictional characters as nonfictional, factual information about characters is presented here in past tense. Present tense is used when discussing characters as fictional constructs. Married women, in most instances, are listed according to their maiden name when that name is known. Characters and places which do not have proper names or whose proper names are not given in the text are indicated in brackets, as in [Herman Basket's sister]. Some terms quoted (often repeatedly) in the text but which are purely descriptive are enclosed in quotation marks, as in "the Convict" and "the Cave."

A Further Note: This is very much a work in progress. I am adding terms to this list as I add commentaries to the novels and other works. Because characters and places in Faulkner’s works so often appear in other works, glossary entries often include references to characters and places prominent in other works. As a result, you may encounter some hyperlinks to entries I have not yet added. The terms added to the glossary so far include the following:

 

1. Acey
2. Akers
3. Albert
4. Alec, Uncle
5. Alford, Dr.
6. Alice Ben Bolt
7. Ames, Dalton
8. Anse
9. Armstead
10. Armstid
11. Armstid, Henry
12. Armstid, Lula
13. Armstid, Martha
14. Ash, Uncle
15. Baird, Dr.
16. Basket, Herman
17. Beard
18. "Beat Two"
19. Beauchamp, Amodeus McCaslin
20. [Unnamed Beauchamp baby]
21. Beauchamp, Bobo
22. Beauchamp, Carolina (Callina)
23. Beauchamp, Henry
24. Beauchamp, Hubert
25. Beauchamp, James Thucydus (Tennie's Jim)
26. Beauchamp, Lucas Quintus Carothers McCaslin
27. Beauchamp, Molly Worsham
28. Beauchamp, Nathalie (Nat)
29. Beauchamp, Samuel Worsham (Butch)
30. Beauchamp, Sophonsiba (Fonsiba)
31. Beauchamp, Sophonsiba (Sibbey)
32. Beauchamp, Tennie
33. Beauchamp, Terrel (Tomey's Turl)
34. Benbow, Judge
35. Narcissa Benbow
36. Benbow, Percy
37. Berry, Louis
38. Big Bottom
39. Black John
40. Blackwater Slough
41. Bland, Mrs.
42. Bland, Gerald
43. Bleyth, Captain
44. Bobolink
45. Bon, Charles
46. Bon, Charles Etienne de Saint Velery
47. Bon, Eulalia
48. Bond, Jim
49. Bookwright
50. Breckbridge, Gavin
51. BUNDREN
52. Bundren, Addie
53. Bundren, Anse
54. Bundren, Cash
55. Bundren, Darl
56. Bundren, Dewey Dell
57. Bundren, Jewel
58. Bundren, Mrs.
59. Bundren, Vardaman
60. Burgess
61. Burgess, Mrs.
62. Burney, Mr.
63. Burney, Dewey
64. Burney, Mrs.
65. Cain
66. Callicoat, David
67. "Carnival worker" (In The Sound and the Fury)
68. Caspey (In "There Was a Queen")
69. "The Cave"
70. Charlie
71. Chickasaw
72. Christian, Mrs.
73. Christian, Uncle Willy
74. Clay, Sis Beulah
75. Colbert, David
76. Cold Water, Mississippi
77. Coldfield
78. Coldfield, Ellen
79. Coldfield, Goodhue
80. Coldfield, Rosa
81. Coleman, Mrs.
82. Compson
83. Compson, Benjy
84. Compson, Caddy
85. Compson, Caroline Bascomb
86. Compson, Charles Stuart
87. Compson, Jason Lycurgus
88. Compson, Jason Lycurgus, II
89. Compson, Mrs. Jason Lycurgus, II
90. Compson, Jason Richmond Lycurgus, III
91. Compson, Jason Lycurgus, IV
92. Compson, Quentin
93. Compson, Quentin (female)
94. Compson, Quentin MacLachan
95. Compson, Quentin MacLachan (Old Governor)
96. Coon Bridge
97. Coppermine
98. Crawfishford
99. Crawford, Dr.
100. Crossman County
101. Daingerfield, Miss
102. Daisy
103. Damuddy
104. Dan (In Go Down, Moses)
105. Deacon
106. de Spain, Lula
107. de Spain, Major Cassius
108. de Spain, Major Cassius, II
109. de Spain, Mrs.
110. de Spain, Manfred
111. de Vitry, Chevalier Soeur Blonde
112. Delphine
113. The Delta
114. Dick, Colonel Nathaniel G.
115. [A divining machine salesman]
116. Dodge, Granby
117. Dough, James
118. "A Drummer" (In The Sound and the Fury)
119. Du Pre, Virginia Sartoris
120. Dukinfield, Judge
121. Ed
122. Edmonds, Alice
123. Edmonds, Carothers (Roth)
124. Edmonds, Louisa
125. Edmonds, McCaslin (Cass)
126. [Edmonds], Sarah
127. Edmonds, Zachary (Zack)
128. Elnora
129. Emmy
130. Ewell, Walter
131. Farr, George
132. [French Architect] (In Absalom, Absalom!)
133. Frenchman's Bend
134. Gary, Doctor
135. Gayoso Feed Co.
136. Gayoso Hotel
137. Gibson, Dilsey
138. [Gibson,] Frony
139. Gibson, Roskus
140. Gibson, T.P.
141. Gibson, Versh
142. Gihon County
143. Gillespie
144. Gillespie, Mack
145. Gilligan, Joe
146. Glasgow
147. Gombault, Uncle Pete
148. Green, Captain
149. Greenleaf
150. Grenier County
151. Grenier, Louis
152. Grimm, Eustace
153. Grinnup, Dan
154. Grinnup, Lonnie
155. Griselda
156. Grotto Café
157. Grumby, "Major"
158. Grummet
159. Habersham
160. Habersham, Emily
161. Habersham, Eunice
162. Habersham, Samuel
163. Had-Two-Fathers
164. Hamblett, Jim
165. "Harris, Mary"
166. "Harris, Plurella"
167. Harrykin Creek
168. Hatcher, Louis
169. Hatcher, Martha
170. Haven Hill Store
171. Hawk, Dennison, I
172. Hawk, Dennison, II (Denny)
173. Hawk, Drusilla
174. Hawk, Louisa
175. Hawkhurst
176. Head, Sydney Herbert
177. Henderson, Mrs.
178. Henry (In Soldiers' Pay)
179. Henry (In The Sound and the Fury)
180. [Herman Basket's sister]
181. Hickahala bottom
182. Hipps, Buck
183. Hog Bayou
184. Hogganbeck, David
185. Hogganbeck, Boon
186. Hoke's
187. Holland, Anselm (Old Man Anse)
188. Holland, Anselm (Young Anse)
189. Holland, Cornelia Mardis
190. Holland, Virginius
191. Holly Springs, Mississippi
192. Hollymount
193. Holmes, Miss
194. Holston, Alexander
195. Holston, Doctor
196. Holston House
197. Hopkins
198. Houston
199. Hoxey, Major
200. Hurricane Bottoms
201. Ikkemotubbe
202. Inverness
203. Isom
204. Issetibbeha
205. [Issetibbeha's body servant]
206. Jackson, [General Andrew]
207. Jefferson
208. Job (Uncle)
209. Joby
210. Joby (In "There Was a Queen")
211. Jody
212. Jones, Januarius
213. Jones, Melicent
214. Jones, Milly
215. Jones, Wash
216. Julio
217. Junkin, Professor
218. Katie
219. Keeley
220. Kemp, Beasley
221. Kenny
222. Lafayette County
223. Lafe
224. Laura, Miss
225. Lawington, Miss
226. Lion
227. Littlejohn
228. Littlejohn, Mrs.
229. Log-in-the-Creek
230. Loosh
231. Lorraine
232. Louvinia
233. Lowe, Julian
234. Lufbery
235. Luster
236. Mac (In The Sound and the Fury
237. MacCallum, Stuart
238. MacGowan, Skeet
239. Madden, Rufus
240. Mahon, Donald
241. Mahon, Reverend Joseph
242. Mannie
243. Manuel Street
244. Maurier, Harrison
245. McCannon (or MacKenzie), Shreve
246. McCaslin, Ned
247. McEachern, Joe
248. Memphis, Tennessee
249. Memphis Junction
250. Merchants and Farmers Bank, The
251. Merridew, Mrs.
252. Midnight, Arkansas
253. Mike
254. Miller, Mrs.
255. Millingham
256. Mitchell, Mrs.
257. Mink
258. Mississippi River
259. Mitchell, Hugh
260. Mohataha
261. Moketubbe
262. Moseley
263. Moses
264. Mott County
265. Mottstown
266. Mount Vernon
267. Myrtle
268. Natalie
269. Nelson, Aunt Callie
270. Nelson, Loosh
271. New Hope
272. New Valois
273. Nine Mile Branch Bridge
274. Okatoba County
275. Old Ben
276. Old Frenchman's Place
277. Owl-by-Night
278. Oxford, Mississippi
279. Parker
280. Parsham
281. "Patterson boy"
282. Patterson, Mr.
283. Patterson, Mrs.
284. Peabody, Dr.
285. Pearson, Mr.
286. Penelope
287. Pettibone
288. Pettigrew, Thomas Jefferson
289. Philadelphy
290. Pittsburg(h) Landing
291. Powers, Margaret
292. Powers, Richard
293. Price
294. Priest, Alexander
295. Priest, Alison Lessep
296. Priest, Lessep
297. Priest, Lucius Quintus, I (Boss Priest)
298. Priest, Lucius, II (Loosh)
299. Priest, Lucius, III
300. Priest, Maury, Jr.
301. Priest, Maury, Sr.
302. Priest, Sarah Edmonds
303. Queenie
304. Quick
305. Quick, Ben
306. Quick, Isham
307. Quick, Lon (old)
308. Quick, Lon (young)
309. Ratcliffe
310. Ratcliffe, Nelly
311. Ratliff, V. K.
312. Renfro
313. Rider
314. [Rider's aunt]
315. Rideout
316. Rideout, Aaron
317. Ringo
318. Rivers, Lee
319. Rivers, Reba
320. Rob Roy
321. Rowan Oak
322. Sam
323. Samson
324. Samson, Rachel
325. [Samson's bridge]
326. Sartoris
327. Sartoris, Bayard, I
328. Sartoris, Bayard, II (Colonel)
329. Sartoris, Bayard, III ("Young Bayard")
330. Sartoris, Bayard, IV
331. Sartoris, Benbow (Bory)
332. Sartoris, Caroline White
333. Sartoris, Colonel John
334. Sartoris, Mrs. John
335. Sartoris, John, II
336. Sartoris, John, III (Johnny)
337. Sartoris, Lucy Cranston
338. Sartoris Rifles
339. Saunders, Cecily
340. Saunders, Minnie
341. Saunders, Robert, I
342. Saunders, Robert, II
343. Schluss
344. Shegog, Reverend
345. "Sheriff" (In The Sound and the Fury)
346. Shiloh, Battle of
347. Short, Herman
348. Simmons
349. Simon
350. [Sister] (In The Sound and the Fury)
351. Snopes
352. Snopes (In As I Lay Dying)
353. Snopes, Flem
354. Snopes, I. O.
355. Spoade
356. Sometimes-Wakeup
357. Sothey
358. Stamper, Pat
359. Stevens
360. Stokes
361. Strother, Caspey
362. Strother, Euphrony
363. Strother, Simon
364. Jeb Stuart
365. Studenmare, Captain
366. Suratt, V. K.
367. Sutpen
368. Sutpen, Clytemnestra ("Clytie")
369. [Sutpen], Ellen Coldfield (listed under "Coldfield")
370. Sutpen, Henry
371. Sutpen, Judith
372. Sutpen, Thomas
373. Sutpen's Hundred
374. Sylvester's John
375. Tallahatchie River
376. Thompson
377. Three Basket
378. Tobe
379. Triplett, Earl
380. Tull, Cora
381. Tull, Eula
382. Tull, Kate
383. Tull, Odum
384. Tull, Vernon
385. [Tull's bridge]
386. Turpin, Buck
387. Van Dorn
388. Van Dorn, General Earl ("Buck")
389. Vernon
390. Vicksburg
391. Walthall, Parson
392. Wardle, Mrs.
393. Warwick
394. White, Hank
395. Whitfield, Reverend
396. Wilkie
397. Willard
398. Willow, Colonel
399. Winbush, Grover Cleveland
400. Worthington, Mrs.
401. Wright, "Doc"
402. Yazoo River
403. Yoknapatawpha
404. Yoknapatawpha County map
405. Yoknapatawpha River

In addition to the novels and stories themselves, I have used the following books as sources:

• Brown, Calvin S. A Glossary of Faulkner’s South. New Haven, Conn.: Yale UP, 1976.
• Ford, Margaret Patricia, and Suzanne Kincaid. Who's Who in Faulkner. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. Binghamton, N.Y.: Vail-Ballou Press, Inc., 1966 (pbk).
• Kincaid, Robert W. Faulkner’s People: A Complete Guide and Index to Characters in the Fiction of William Faulkner. With Marvin Klotz. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1963.
• Runyan, Harry. A Faulkner Glossary. New York: Citadel Press, 1964.