The Hamlet

The Hamlet is considered a rural novel, with its focus on poor white sharecroppers in a small community. How is the natural landscape portrayed within the novel, and how do these descriptions influence the other themes and messages of the novel?

The Hamlet sets up many of the character dynamics that William Faulkner expands upon in The Town, the second novel in what became known as the Snopes trilogy. What literary devices does Faulkner use to establish the social ecosystem of Frenchman’s Bend?

How does this novel fit into the tradition of the Southern Gothic? How might ambition and money be viewed as similar to the usual supernatural corrupting forces present in classic Gothic fiction?

The Hamlet follows an episodic structure, jumping between minor characters and major ones. How does this storytelling method inform the portrayal of Frenchman’s Bend?

The narration’s descriptions of Eula focus largely on her physicality, femininity, and sexuality. How do these descriptions help to define Eula’s place within the narrative?

What are the “Snopesian” traits that Faulkner outlines? How do these traits tie into the broader themes of The Hamlet?

How does the character of V. K. Ratliff tie the novel together? Use three textual examples of Ratliff’s involvement in the community of Frenchman’s Bend.

While Eula is described as exceedingly feminine, her brother Jody is described as “masculine Singular” (7). How do these character descriptions influence their relationship?