The next time -- the next umpteenth time -- you watch the Will Farrell comedy Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby (airing this weekend on TBS) note at the very end of Talladega Nights, past the credits, past the outtakes (depending on which version you are watching) there is a scene where Ricky Bobby’s mother Lucy (played by Jane Lynch) finishes reading William Faulkner’s The Bear to her grandsons J.R. and Walker Texas Ranger. In the scene, Lucy finishes reading and sets down the book:
Lucy: So what do you think that story is about?
J.R.: The Bear symbolizes the Old South and Lion the new dog symbolizes the creeping industrialization of the North.
Walker: Duh, but the question is “Shouldn’t Boon feel the relief or sadness at the passing of the Old South?”
Lucy: Well, How about both?
Walker: Oh, I get it. Moral ambiguity. The hallmark of all early 20th Century American fiction.
J.R.: Great analysis, Walker.
Walker, William Faulkner and Talladega Nights all agree: There is both relief and sadness in the passing of the Old South.
Postscript 2021. Ten years later this page is one of the most visited on the blog. If you are interested more about Faulkner, consider reading Michael Gorra's book The Saddest Words: William Faulkner's Civil War (2020), which we relied heavily on at our reading/support group. See here. We now partner with Destination: Books, an indie bookstore that supports this blog so if you're interested in purchasing the book... Thanks for visiting.
Comments