The Reivers Analysis

Get out your maps, because we're taking a great American road trip. Lucius's adventures lead him from Jefferson, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, from his grandfather's farm to Miss Reba's brothe...

Nearly sixty years have passed between the time Lucius helped to steal Grandfather's car and the time he decides to tell us his childhood adventure story. "Even in 1905," he says, "the wilderness h...

Coming-of-age tales are often intertwined with comedy. Just think of things like The Graduate, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and even American Pie. They're all classic stories about...

The Reivers is about a stolen car, a stolen racehorse, a brothel, a stowaway, and some mules—all told to us through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy. So we know we're going to have some fun wit...

Gather 'round and lend us your ears. This is a narrative, or a string of events that make up a story. And boy, what a good story this is.The action really kicks off when Grandfather's Winton Flyer...

"Reivers" is an old Scottish word for "robbers." Which makes sense, since there's a lot of robbing and stealing throughout the story.Let's see if we can get them all: Boon steals John's pistol.Boon...

Lest we get all distracted by the chaos that accompanies the horseracing in Parsham, let's remind ourselves how Lightning was obtained in the first place. Remember Boss Priest's car? Oh, yeah, we s...

You may already know how tricky Faulkner can be, both linguistically and thematically. But you'll be relieved to find out that The Reivers is the simplest of all the author's works. It's actually v...

Lucius's other grandfather—not Boss Priest—passes away in St. Louis, and the family must go away to attend the funeral, leaving behind Lucius, Boon, and a shiny new automobile. Boon convinces L...

Anticipation Stage and "Fall" into the Other WorldWhen we first meet Lucius, he is as vulnerable as a puppy. He's young and totally naïve when it comes to things like stealing and lying, not to me...

Lucius's grandfather passes away in St. Louis, and the family must go away to attend the funeral, leaving behind Lucius, Boon, and a new automobile. Boon entices Lucius to help him steal the car, a...

How cool is this: Hollywood filmmakers created a replica of a 1904 Wilton Flyer for the 1969 movie version of The Reivers, starring Steve McQueen.The Winton Flyer that was created for the 1969 movi...

As Lucius's story is about his journey into the adult world, The Reivers is not without its lessons on sex. However, this isn't your typical lesson on the birds and the bees. No, no: Lucius's intro...

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus (3.25, 3.47)Winton FlyerBoss Priests' Winton Flyer is the catalyst that kicks off the narrative's actions, so it's a pretty important part of the story. The Wint...