Student Question
In Faulkner's "The Hamlet", who represents the Devil in the Ratcliff allegory?
Quick answer:
In "The Hamlet," the Devil in Ratliff's allegory can be most directly associated with Jody Varner, though it also broadly represents the community of Frenchman's Bend. The allegory centers on a trade involving a man's soul, where the man with the straw suitcase outsmarts the Prince (Devil) by redefining the value in their transaction, highlighting themes of cunning and manipulation.
Ratliff's allegory is the centre of the narrative. However, it is not woodenly allegorical in the sense that one might apply the Prince figure to a number of the citizens in Frenchman's Bend.
Most basically, the Prince would represent Jody Varner. More widely, the Prince represents Frenchman's Bend.
He is upset because the man with the straw suitcase has outwitted him in the trade of the man's soul. The man has done so by changing what is considered valuable in the trade.
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