Sanctuary

Despite Faulkner's remark that Sanctuary was a pot-boiler, I believe that a fascinatingly bizarre crew of characters reside within the pages of the novel. The structure of the novel does not quite strike me as quintessentially Faulknerian; however, the juxtaposition of the privileged and the poor, the idealists with the sadists, and the upstanding with the foul makes for a work that explores two worlds: southern high-society and the prohibition-era criminal underworld. 

Although many of the characters in Sanctuary are grotesque in their appearance, the same also applies to their behavior. The lot of bootleggers at the Old Frenchmen place is comprised of a half-wit, a deaf-mute, a terror-driven cynic , and a congenital syphilis-ridden enigma. Indeed, Popeye emerges as the opposing "black" force throughout the novel; he is, after all, described by Tommy as "the skeeriest durn white man I ever see." However, Popeye is a hard character to understand, and, for that matter, characterize. He is an impotent rapist, a bootlegger who does not drink, and a criminal who still manages to visit mom. This draws attention to his role as the victimizer in Sanctuary. Throughout the novel, it seems that Popeye is not psychologically aware in regards to the magnitude of his actions. He knows that what he has committed warrants fleeing to another town for refuge; however, he does not understand, nor care, about the ripple of repercussions that follow his acts. Although Temple Drake is quickly led down a road of moral degradation, she has her own faults as well. Temple's affinity for excitement stems from her desire to break free of the over-protection that she has experienced her whole life. However, she has drastically misjudged her ability to reside in the company of men who live outside the bounds of polite society. 

The meaning of Sanctuary's title is also pertinent because it begs the question: do the characters within the novel ever truly find sanctuary? From the minute that Temple enters the Old Frenchmen place until the end of the novel, Temple is searching for sanctuary. Although she is portrayed in a French park during the last scene of the novel, the sanctuary is imposed. This is evident in her need to leave the South because--although she is viewed as the victim--her legacy is one of a broken woman, which does not coincide with her status that she previously held. However, there is the question of whether she was, to a certain extent, sexually permissive before she ever came in contact with Popeye. Although the writing in the boys bathroom alludes to this, Temple relishes in appearing experienced; she is "fast" only in her courtship, not her sexual desires. Popeye's entrance into her life marks the end of her feminine virginal sanctuary. Popeye's initial rape of Temple by corncob, her kidnapping, and the vicarious high that he receives by hiring Red to come and have sex with Temple all contribute to an intense evolution in her character.

Violence and terror are two themes that also resonate throughout the work. Sanctuary not only presents the murder of Tommy and the rape of Temple, but it also portrays the brutal lynch-mob death of Lee Goodwin, and the murder of Red. All of the characters within the novel come to fear Popeye and his capabilities, especially Goodwin and Temple. Temple tries to escape from Popeye, but she soon become cognizant that his ties and influence are deep and wide. This leads to her false testimony against Goodwin because she is intensely terrified of even the thought of accusing Popeye of the murder. Goodwin, also, possesses an overwhelming fear that Popeye will find a way to kill him--even in jail--if he brings his name into consideration. His trepidation hinders his defense, yet he maintains that his innocence will be proved without calling Popeye's name into question.

Sanctuary also presents a vivid example of the oppression of women throughout the novel, especially in the characters of Temple Drake and Ruby Lamar. The comparison of the two characters is interesting because they both hail from two entirely different worlds. As the daughter of a judge, Temple comes from a world of privilege. She is wealthy and educated; however, Temple grows tired of the world of decorum, chaperons, and tradition.  She is a character that is envious of male freedom. Temple loves the excitement of pushing the limit and the ability of choice, which leads her to associate with a variety of men her age for short periods of time. However, it seems that she desires men who are cut from the same cloth as her. The company of poor whites is foreign to her, and she succumbs to their rude behavior and indecent acts. Indeed, in this case, she ventures into something that is more than she can handle. Popeye views his relationship with Temple as strictly sexual, which is clearly illustrated in the way that he keeps her locked in a room until he experiences a sexual urge. He views her as a piece of property; she is an item that can provide gratification to him, nothing more. The only non-sexual interaction that Popeye has with women in the novel is with Miss Reba and his mother, who are two older matronly figures. Ruby Lamar suffers oppression in a distinctly different way compared to Temple. Ruby is the victim of her status not only as a woman, but also as a poor white. She has accrued the status of a harlot by many in town; however, with Temple's experience as a testament, the judgmental church women in town--like Narcissa--cannot easily fault Ruby for the life that has, in a sense, chosen her. Ruby is a marked women, and their are no options available to her outside of prostitution; therefore, she makes the most of her life by staying with her common-law husband, Goodwin. In both cases, the women lack the agency to change their situations due to their gender. Men see them for their sexual advantages, which, inevitably, leaves the women with a tarnished name and limited ambitions.