Analysis
Interpretations of the story vary widely. Parini finds the story "about a young man's false sense of accomplishment" and ascribes Thompson's feelings to Faulkner's "inner doubt"; the author, according to Parini, must have had the "feeling that the world sees more in him than he actually possesses". Frederick R. Karl says the story "establishes Faulkner as a teller of tall tales, a vivid and significant part of his artistic imagination and a centerpiece of his ludic imagination". It also is significant because in it, Faulkner sheds the "artificial language" that mars much of what he wrote as a young man. The comic elements in the story foreshadow the humorous elements Faulkner often included in even his most serious fiction. The story also shows Faulkner's ability to spin the stuff of everyday life into an interesting tale. As a cadet-pilot, Faulkner probably never even flew a plane; his RAF unit was disbanded early in his training because World War I ended. William Faulkner was Not a WW I pilot, and di not learn to fly until the 1930s. His Instructor was Vernon C. Omlie, who also taught his brother, Dean to fly. Dean later died when a wing folded at 4500 feet near Pontotoc, Mississippi in 1935. "In the years following World War I, William Faulkner implied to his family and acquaintances that he had been a pilot in the RAF. Some people even thought that he had flown combat missions in France and had been wounded. He maintained this fictitious persona throughout his life, and it was accepted by most scholars and biographers. Several of Faulkner's early works featured aviators as central characters, and he treated them as romanticized, tragic heroes as he did Confederate cavalry officers. Pylon, which was written after he had actually started flying, reflects an awareness of the psychology of flying not seen in his earlier works. Faulkner's "wounded pilot" persona was only one facet of his imaginative and creative personality, but knowledge of this persona is necessary to the understanding of the man and thus his art."References
Further reading
*Karl, Frederick R. (1989) ''William Faulkner: American Writer.'' Weidenfeld and Nicolson. * Parini, Jay. (2004) ''One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner.'' Harper Perennial. * Oates, Stepehen B. (1987)''William Faulkner: The Man and the Artist.'' Parper Perennial. {{Faulkner 1919 short stories Short stories by William Faulkner Works originally published in American magazines Works originally published in literary magazines