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In a specific scene of Requiem for a Nun by William Faulkner, Temple Drake states that

Temple Drake is dead.

In response, Gavin, Nancy's lawyer, responds:

The past is never dead. It's not even past.

What does this famous quote mean in this context?

Gallifreyan
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Harini
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    Looks like a fine question to me. Welcome! (You might want to add some context around this quote though, e.g. mention exactly where he says it.) – Rand al'Thor Apr 17 '17 at 19:45
  • Any chance we could get a page or chapter number for that quote? –  Apr 17 '17 at 20:51
  • @Hamlet Oh thou the lover of the proof, let me tell you this that what's important is the lesson and the words but not the elements and the figures (page no: of the book where these exact words appeared). PS: This is the other way around to admit the fact that the book is not with me right now and so I can't tell you the page number nor can I take a snap shot of it to show along with my question. Hope that's okay for you now :) – Harini Apr 18 '17 at 20:20
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    I just read a disquisition in Joseph Blotner's Faulkner A Biography. You might be interested in checking this. – user2820579 Jun 17 '19 at 16:12

1 Answers1

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I've never read the book, but I always assumed it meant something to the effect of "What happened to us in our past isn't gone and forgotten. It affects us all the time. It's with us in every moment."

Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum
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    http://www.writerlyhaphazardry.net/?p=1636. Do take a look at this @Lauren . This statement was not a response to a declaration that a person is dead.(ibid) But as you've told , yes Temple(the lead character in RFN) carries the guilt of her past through out her life and it's embedded in whatever things she does. Thanks for your answer. Simple and lucid :) I was trying to meta physically extrapolate it :P and that's how(why) I posted it here. – Harini Apr 18 '17 at 13:03
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    @user129402 excellent; thank you. I'll remove that line from my answer. – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Apr 18 '17 at 13:23
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    If Lauren's answer helped you, @user129402, consider marking it as accepted. This doesn't stop people from posting more answers, but it does indicate that you found what you're looking for. (And both of you get some extra points :-)) – Shokhet Apr 23 '17 at 15:02
  • @Shokhet yes I would but I was expecting something else and I love to here much more opinions on this line :) but thanks will do that. – Harini Apr 23 '17 at 15:03
  • @user129402 You don't have to accept it if it's not what you were looking for. I inferred (perhaps incorrectly) from your comments that this answer cleared up your misunderstanding. – Shokhet Apr 23 '17 at 15:05
  • @Shokhet no issues.his answer was good but it's too little and I was looking for so and so explanations. Anyways I have accepted it since I agree his view. – Harini Apr 23 '17 at 15:07
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    @user129402 Okay. – Shokhet Apr 23 '17 at 15:12
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    @user129402 thanks! sorry I don't have more background or context, as I have never read the work in question. And my preferred pronouns are she/her. :) – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Apr 23 '17 at 23:43