Shingles for the Lord
Shingles for the Lord is a short story by the American writer William Faulkner , which is published in German-speaking countries under the title Schingeln für den Herr . The American original first appeared on February 13, 1943 in the Saturday Evening Post .
teller
The first-person narrator is the son of Res Grier, except that he never really intervenes actively in the plot, but only describes it. The narrator uses everyday language ; so words are written as they are pronounced by the protagonists.
action
The story begins with Res Grier setting out early to borrow clapboard knives and a special mouth hammer from Old Man Killegrew . Grier needed these tools because he was helping to put shingles on the roof of the parish church. However, Killegrew is on a fox hunt and only returns after waiting two hours. Only now does Grier receive the requested tools because Killegrew's wife is very hard of hearing and does not understand Grier's request and the servant does not express the right to lend tools without consulting the host. Because of these circumstances, Grier finally arrives at church two hours late; the rest of the workers are talking to the Reverend Whitfield. These two additional workers are Solon and Homer. They complain about Grier's delay, but he himself wonders why they haven't started yet. There is a short conversation with the Reverend until he finally leaves the "construction site". Even before work on the church roof really begins, Solon Grier points out that he and Homer have already worked two hours. This is not true, but they count the waiting time as working time. There are long deductions about the nature of a working day and how much work there is in such a day; it finally becomes clear that Solon wants to be compensated for the waiting time. Because of Grier's delay, work on the church roof could no longer be done in one day. Now Solon has been targeting a special dog Griers for a long time and would like to exchange him for the fact that he (Solon) finishes the work alone with Homer the next day. Grier would receive an additional two dollars from an earlier purchase attempt. Grier disappears during the lunch break, but then accepts the offer on his return. In the afternoon they say goodbye. Grier should then simply bring the dog over, the latter agrees. The next morning Grier gets up even earlier. Together with his son, he wants to sabotage the work and remove shingles so that Solon has to work alone more. In doing so, he is not very careful with the lamp, which ultimately lights the church roof. During the morning the whole church burns down. Reverend Whitfield is outwardly calm and collected, but in fact it becomes clear that Grier is being expelled from the study group, if not out of the shaky society of the community, and has to work for his membership anew. The other men arrange to meet the next day to rebuild the church; Grier is not wanted.
Interpretative approaches
With Res Grier we have an ambivalent character. An eternal strangler who has to work hard for his recognition and identity in society. He cannot really do without the working hours that he does not spend in his own fields, but sees the chance to sit at the longer end and harm Solon. The attempt fails and the church burns down, making Grier an outsider. This ending is unexpected and sudden, but just as unavoidable in the context of the macabre black humor of the narrative, which sets the style for the genre of Southern Gothic . The values of the southern states , in this case the work ethic and rebellion in society, are embodied in this way. But Grier falls victim to his own rebellion; he has to start over.