The Family Name

I enjoyed reading the story "There was a Queen" by William Faulkner. I had read the novel The Unvanquished in high school and was surprised to see the Sartoris family again. I found it interesting how the use of southern standards are used as a measuring stick for a person's character. To Miss Jenny the absolute worst thing that a person, a lady to be specific, could do was damage her reputation and the honor of her family. It was not only the responsibility of a southern woman to take care of her family, but also the family name. The Sartoris family is one that has some of the deepest and most respected roots in the south. Their name has managed to make it through wars and family feuds. To Miss Jenny, the fact that Miss Narcissa would threaten the Sartoris name is insulting. Even a letter that might destroy Miss Narcissa's reputation was enough for Miss Jenny to want to call on the aid of the colonel. The very fact that Miss Narcissa thinks the solution to the problem is to sleep with the man is more than Miss Jenny can bear. She dies in the end, not only because Miss Narcissa has dirtied herself and the family name, but because Miss Jenny knows that this marks the end of an era. This is the end of gentility and respect. This is the end of the life she had known and defended. This is the end of the Sartoris family. One of the most interesting points is that Miss Narcissa knows that what she has done will hurt the family. She knowingly moved the rendezvous to Memphis where she hoped that it would not affect the family. In addition, when she returned she cleansed herself and her son in the creek out beyond the pasture. This shows that Miss Narcissa knew that what she had done was damaging to not only her own self respect, but the respect and good name of the Sartoris family. In the end the damages that were made to Miss Jenny's family and name were too much for her to bear.