Palm+Leaf

The palm leaf is the leaf of the palm tree from the monocotyledonous family Arecaceae ( Palmae). It typically derives from tropical regions. It is an important recurring motif in Faulkner's works, particularly //Light in August//, and most notably in the form of a palm leaf fan carried by Lena Grove.

Historically, the palm leaf has a long tradition of symbolic importance especially with Judaeo-Christian religions, but also dating back to some of the earliest civilizations that developed in the Near-East, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean. For the Romans, the palm leaf was a symbol of victory and subsequent peace in war, but was later appropriated by the early christian church for spiritual purposes. Namely, the palm leaf became a christian symbol for victory of the spirit over the temptations of the flesh, and was also closely associated with martyrs. The palm leaf is still an active symbol within Christianity, and plays an important role in the feast day of Palm Sunday, a celebration of Christ's entry in Jerusalem.

As a figure of literary iconography, the palm leaf appears in Faulkner's //Light in August// as one of the objects Lena Grove takes with her on her journey from Alabama to Jefferson, Mississippi, "she carried a palm leaf fan and a small bundle tied neatly in a bandanna handkerchief" (//LIA//, 6). The palm leaf fan is also briefly carried by Mrs. McEachern, "in her bonnet and her dress of rusty yet oftenbrushed black, carrying a palm leaf fan" (LIA 148).

Given its historical significance, the palm leaf as it appears in Faulkner's work may speak to characters' symbolic role within the narrative. For instance, even though Lena is first encountered in //LIA// pregnant out of wedlock, her association with the palm leaf branch my suggest a spiritual triumph despite social condemnation, or a reconfiguration or inversion of traditional cultural symbolism.

//She [Lena] carried a palm leaf fan and a small bundle tied neatly in a bandanna handkerchief// (LIA 6).

//She [Mrs. McEachern] just came within the door and stood there for a moment, in her bonnet and her dress of rusty yet oftenbrushed black, carrying an umbrella and a palm leaf fan// (LIA 147-48)//.//

Also see LIA, 9, 14, 25, and numerous other instances.