Characters

The main character of the short story “Dry September” by William Faulkner is Henry Hawkshaw. He is not a developing character, since his way of acting and thinking remain the same throughout the story. He shows some desire to protect Will from the men's attack, but is ultimately too cowardly to help in any real way.

Other major characters of the story are John McLendon and Minnie Cooper. John McLendon is not a developing character - he is an aggressive racist, and the leader of the group of men who want to punish Will Mayes for his alleged crime. On the other hand, Minnie Cooper evolves throughout the story.

The story features secondary characters such as Will Mayes, Butch, the drummer, and the soldier. The story also features tertiary characters such as Minnie’s friends, the other barbers, and the other customers in the barber shop.

You can find our characterisation of Henry Hawkshaw, John McLendon, and Minnie Cooper in the next pages.