A Cleansing Power

In Faulkner's There was a Queen, the section of the short story that I found most interesting and a bit perplexing was the part when the reader finds that Narcissa and her son have been sitting in a nearby creek for hours just talking. They haven't been swimming or fishing and haven't gone to the water for any particular purpose other than to just sit.

Though I am not entirely sure of Faulkner's purpose in including this part of the plot, I believe he chose water specifically to symbolize a sense of renewal and cleansing. It is assumed Narcissa has sexual relations with the federal agent in order to retrieve her letters and also assumed that she is somewhat bothered by what she has done. Water, throughout history, has repeatedly been symbolic of purity and renewal. It occurs in almost every world religion. For example water is a symbol of new life in Christ in the act of baptism. In ancient Judaism, water was used to ritually purify oneself after one had encountered something in everyday life that had caused him or her to become unclean. Even in literature and film, rain often has a cleansing or renewing quality to it.

In having Narcissa sit in this running creek, Faulkner is portraying her attempt at washing herself clean of the guilt and shame she feels for offering her body to this stranger. This purifying power of water is why Faulkner includes this plot sequence. Going to lie in the creek is Narcissa seeking renewal and a new beginning so she can leave her shame in the past.