Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 146

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denies her moral responsibility for Temple, saying to Horace, "I got
nuttin to do with i t . . . ” (Sanctuaty, 119).
Since at least some of her humor derives from her status as
another of Faulkner's observers whose opinions conflict with those of
the actors being observed, Reba helps to preclude easy
generalizations about Temple, and to delay the resolution of

Sanctuary.
Unlike the works already discussed, Faulkner's Snopes
trilogy depends heavily on the comic story, a common form in both
folk culture and popular culture. The Hamlet, the first novel of the
trilogy, uses the comic story more often than any of Faulkner's earlier
novels. One of the best known of such stories in The Hamlet is
"Spotted Horses," a story, clearly related to many folk and popular
culture stories of horse trading, in which much of the humor arises
from the combination of conflicting concepts.
First, the "Spotted Horses" episode conflicts with much of
the rest of the novel, especially with the section dealing with Mink
which almost immediately precedes and follows this episode.
Immediately before the beginning of "Spotted Horses" the Mink
section had built to an anticipation of a climax in Mink's trial.
Instead, the story of Mink is interrupted by the comic "Spotted
Horses" story. The climax of Mink's story, which was expected to be
the beginning of his trial, becomes the anti-climax of "Spotted
Horses," 'There was another trial then."'^
The episode conflicts with our expectations of Flem's return
from his honeymoon in Texas. The earlier novel had suggested only
three ways for Flem to return. He could return openly, with the
intention, at least, of trying to rescue Mink; he could return secretly
without mentioning Mink and of trying to hide until the end of the
trial; or he could wait until after the trial and then return. Any of the
three choices would continue Faulkner's serious treatment of the
problem of Mink, and would continue to focus the attention of the
reader and of the citizens of the hamlet on Mink and on Flem's
relationship with Mink.
As it is, Flem's entrance serves to distract the other
characters and the reader from Mink and his problem. From the
beginning of the section, which follows almost immediately the
conversation of Quick, Tull, Bookwright and Ratliff, a conversation
which shows the attention of Frenchman's Bend remains focused on