# Cecily Saunders — Soldiers’ Pay character guide > Cecily Saunders in Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Miss Saunders, Cecily, Miss Cecily Saunders **First appearance:** 0001-soldiers-pay ## Who they are A young Southern belle waiting to marry a soldier she barely knows, whose pretty certainties crack under the weight of what the war has sent back to her. ## Relationships ### [Margaret Powers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/margaret_powers) _social_ Cecily Saunders and Margaret Powers are acquaintances navigating the social aftermath of war. ### [Januarius Jones](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/januarius_jones) _psychological_ Cecily Saunders is both fascinated and repelled by Januarius Jones's manipulative attention. ### [George Farr](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/george_farr) _romantic_ Cecily Saunders and George Farr are entangled in a strained romantic relationship marked by indecision. ### [Donald Mahon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/donald_mahon) _romantic_ Cecily Saunders was once engaged to Donald Mahon but now feels conflicted due to his changed condition. ### [Joe Gilligan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/joe_gilligan) _social_ Cecily Saunders and Joe Gilligan are polite acquaintances with no deep connection. ### [Mr. Rivers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/mr_rivers) _social_ Cecily Saunders and Mr. Rivers have a formal, distant social acquaintance. ### [Margaret Powers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/margaret_powers) _social_ Cecily Saunders and Margaret Powers are acquaintances navigating the social aftermath of war. ### [Joe Gilligan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/joe_gilligan) _social_ Cecily Saunders and Joe Gilligan are polite acquaintances with no deep connection. ### [Januarius Jones](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/januarius_jones) _psychological_ Cecily Saunders is both fascinated and repelled by Januarius Jones's manipulative attention. ### [Januarius Jones](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/januarius_jones) _psychological_ Cecily Saunders is both fascinated and repelled by Januarius Jones's manipulative attention. ### [George Farr](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/george_farr) _romantic_ Cecily Saunders and George Farr are entangled in a strained romantic relationship marked by indecision. ### [Donald Mahon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/donald_mahon) _romantic_ Cecily Saunders was once engaged to Donald Mahon but now feels conflicted due to his changed condition. ## In the story ### [Soldiers' Pay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/soldiers-pay) Donald's fiancée, shocked by his appearance and struggling with her feelings. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/i) Shocked and repulsed by Donald's scar, representing the inability of the home front to comprehend war trauma. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ii) Remains icy and remote during Jones's advances; shows sharp intelligence and verbal dexterity; reacts with terror upon hearing Donald is coming home. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iii) Performs a dramatic reunion with Uncle Joe, examines Margaret with narrow care, and later breaks her date with George Farr upon learning Donald is returning. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iv) Conflicted about her engagement to Donald, she kisses George but insists she must marry Donald due to family expectations. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) Secretly meets a man not named Donald, returns to find the others gone, engages in a battle of wits with Jones, and faints upon seeing Donald's scarred face. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/i) Shocked and traumatized after seeing Donald Mahon's scar; she is put to bed by her mother. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ii) Referenced as Robert's sister; the soldier suggests Robert ask her about getting a soldier, and Robert taunts her through her door about seeing the scar tomorrow. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned as having fainted; her father worries about her happiness. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/viii) Arrives at the rectory at the end of the chapter. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ix) Cecily is confronted by her father about her engagement to Donald Mahon. She is repulsed by Donald's scar and resists visiting him, but eventually agrees after her father threatens to forbid her from seeing George Farr. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/x) Mistakes Jones for Donald, embraces him hysterically, then angrily confronts him and visits Donald. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xi) Returns home angry after visiting Donald, feels humiliated by his behavior and jealous of Mrs. Powers. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xii) Refuses to see Donald Mahon, feeling insulted; remains calm and detached during her father's confrontation. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xiii) Visits a neighbor's house, charmingly manipulative, uses the telephone. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xiv) Acts distant and impersonal with George, claims her parents disapprove, but later sends a secret note inviting him to visit at night. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/i) The object of George's obsession; she appears briefly, ignoring him in a car and later recoiling from his touch with terror and loathing. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iv) Discussed by Margaret and Gilligan as the girl they need to 'do something about' regarding Donald. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) The sister who is fixing her hair and reacts angrily to the news about another woman loving Donald. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) Horrified by Donald's scar, she breaks off the engagement despite her parents' concerns. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/viii) Flirts with Rufus Madden and engages James Dough, dismissing Mr. Rivers' advances; embodies the civilian detachment from war's reality. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/x) Dances with Dr. Gary, observed by Gilligan and Mrs. Powers. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xi) Dances at the club, becomes agitated upon hearing about Donald and Margaret, leaves with Jones. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xii) Attempts to rekindle affection with Donald Mahon at the dance, but is distracted and manipulative, showing her superficiality. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xiii) Resists Jones, pleads for release, then flees to the dance and clings to Mr. Rivers. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xiv) Stops between dances to chat with Mrs. Powers in a coarse, nervous manner. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/vi) Defensive and torn between her promise to Donald and her horror at his scarred face. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/i) Manipulative and fearful, she navigates her secret meeting with George and deftly deflects Januarius Jones's presence. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ii) Engages in a tense verbal duel with Jones, defending her engagement and struggling against his psychological pressure. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iii) Referenced indirectly as the object of George's vigil; her house is dark and she is presumably asleep. ### [Eleven O’Clock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/eleven-o-clock) The object of George's obsession; she remains asleep inside the house, unaware of the men outside. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iv) Lying awake in her dark room, she listens to the night and senses the approach of dawn. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) Pleads hysterically to see Donald alone, then rushes to him and declares she will marry him despite his injuries. ### [Spring Negotiations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned as the bride-to-be who desires the marriage despite her mother's doubts. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) Mentioned as Donald's fiancée, with townspeople questioning her loyalty and motives. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/vi) Defends her decision to marry Donald Mahon against her mother's objections, becomes emotional and flees upstairs. ### [VII: Voices](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/vii-voices) Voiced her conflicted promise to marry Donald despite his scar, then cries out for George Farr. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/viii) Defensive and tearful, accuses Margaret of interfering and wanting Donald, then breaks down in despair. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ix) Cecily calls George Farr urgently, asking him to come to her immediately, her voice filled with anguish. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/xi) Arrives at the rector's house in a nervous, desperate state; confesses to Uncle Joe that she cannot marry Donald and is going away. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/viii) Visits Donald to confront him about his scar and their engagement, feeling repulsed and conflicted. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ii) Married George Farr in Atlanta, ending local speculation about her engagement to Donald Mahon. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/ix) Resolves to break her engagement with Donald after being unable to accept his scar and changed demeanor. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/chapters/v) Seen briefly as she weeps in her father's arms, appearing stricken and fragile, while Mr. George Farr stands morosely behind her. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters/cecily_saunders - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/soldiers_pay_se/characters