University of Oran 2 Faculty of Foreign Languages THESIS In Candidacy for the Degree of Doctorate in Science, English Language. Moving Forward , Looking Backward : Past , Tragedy , Trauma and Redemption in the Major Works of William Faulkner , the Salient Representative of the Southern Reality . Publicly Presented by: Ms. DJAWIDA REBAA Before a Jury Composed of: BELMEKKI Belkacem Professor University of Oran 2 President MOULFI Leila Professor University of Oran 2 Supervisor DANI Fatiha Professor University of Oran 1 Examiner BENABDI Farouk MCA University of Mascara Examiner Academic Year 2019/2020 Dedication To my parents who proudly supported my educational endeavours . To my brother and sisters for their constant support and pride in my accomplishments . To my dear friends who provided prayers . To my loving colleagues who brought confidence and hope in me . Acknowledgments In the name of our Merciful and Compassionate God “ My lord ! increase me in knowledge ” ( The Holy Quran , the Chapter of Taha , Versus 114) My educational journey has been a long and an arduous task and could not have been accomplished without the countless individuals who have stepped into my life . There are far too many people to name but they all have made an impact on the roads and trials I travelled to get here . To all of you , I thank you . First and forever most , I owe a special debt of recognition and gratitude to the professionalism and scholarly insight of my supervisor Pr. Leila MOULFI who has believed in me .Without her support and guidance , I would not be where I am today . She taught me to love William Faulkner’s literature and helped me throughout the process of completing this thesis. It is with immense appreciation that I acknowledge all the committee members without their knowledge and presence , this study would not have been successful . With joy and gladness I thank every teacher I was lucky enough to meet at Oran 2 University with a major emphasis on Mr. Belmekki Belkacem , Mrs. Chami Nidhal , Mrs. Bentazi Fatouma , even when it seems I would never finish my thesis , they knew how to uplift me with their encouragements . Abstract It is a truth generally acknowledged that the South is more distinctively a region that any other portion of the United States is . Far more important than its geographical boundaries are the boundaries of experience and tradition which have given it a unique identity in the nation. Indeed , it is a region and people of rich , yet tumultuous history , devastated by slavery , violent racism , corruption , poverty and the Civil War ( 1861-1865) . Since the early days of the United States , The US South depended heavily on the past to constitute an identity . This perpetuation until the present days uses common motifs , images and symbols . For a deeper understanding of Southern literature and culture , it is necessary to understand their drawing on the past and the reasons thereof , and to fully understand the peculiar Southern situation . As a native Mississippian , the flagship and the master of Southern literature , William Faulkner is one of the major representatives of the Southern reality who succeeded to explore the wonderful literary heritage of his hometown . Departing from the South , the centre of this examination is a Southern subject par excellence . The present study seeks to cast light on the ever-reappearing topic of the past overshadowing the present and determining the future . A persistent urge to look back and a serious reluctance to move forward are one of Faulkner’s chief concerns and are omnipresent in his fiction . Résumé C’est une vérité généralement reconnue que le Sud des Etats-Unis est une région caractéristique en ce sens qu’elle a donné une identité unique à cette nation. Bien plus important que ses frontières géographiques, sont les frontières de l’expérience et de la tradition qui lui ont façonné une identité singulière dans la nation des Etats-Unis. En effet, c’est un espace qui a offert des richesses à sa population mais aussi une tumultueuse histoire , dévastée par l’esclavage, le racisme, la corruption, la pauvreté, la guerre civile ( 1861-1865). Dès la naissance des Etats-Unis, le Sud dépendait fortement de son passé pour construire une identité. Cette consolidation a de tout temps utilisé des motifs , des images et des symboles communs . Pour une compréhension profonde de la littérature et de la culture du Sud, il est nécessaire de comprendre leur ancrage dans leur histoire et de cerner la situation particulière du Sud . Originaire du Mississippi , William Faulkner est l’un des principaux représentants de la littérature du Sud qui a réussi à explorer le merveilleux patrimoine littéraire de sa ville natale . En partant du Sud , cette étude tourne autour du thème du passé toujours si tenace , jusqu’à éclipser le présent et rendant ainsi l’avenir complexe . Un besoin persistant de regarder en arrière et une sérieuse réticence à avancer sont les principales préoccupations de William Faulkner dépeintes brillamment dans sa fiction . ملخص مثما ل ممراء فيه أ ثن الجنو بب منطقةة ممتُمييزة في جزء م ننِ أجزاء و . م . أ أهمث وأكثر ممللنِ مرقُعتُهللا و محللدُودها ال مجغُرافثيللة؛ ممتُمثثلّللة في محدُود الخبرة والثتُقاليدُ والعأراف التُي أكسبتُها سنحةة فريدُة، ومهورية ممتُفرردة. إثنها منطقةة ثرثية وشعب غن ثي ممتُشثرب بتُاريلخ بعأريق دثمرته الحروب م والكوارث والفقر و أغرقُه الفس اد ال ثسياس ثي والمعنصلرثية الممجمحفلة. ممنلمذ البوط نأْة الوللى للّلو.م.أ بربكل بنِ ن الجنوب المريك ثي إلى ماضيه الرتُلّيدُ بشكل كبير ملبنلّبوبرة مهموريمتُه،وبت نشكيل معأ نرمقُه،مم نسبتُأْمنةفا وممستُممررا إلى العصللر الحللالي ممسللتُخمدُةما ب ث الرزخَّامر بف وال رصور والررموبز الممبتُدُابولة. ممنِ أجل فنهرم أدق ث وأعأمق لثقافة وأدب الجنوب الأْمريكلل ثي كللان ملزامللاة عألّللى الدُارسللينِ بسنببر أغوار مرسومامتهم وا نسمتُكناه السباب ،وممعايشة الحالة الجنوبثية الخاصة. وليام فولكنر - ممواطنا منِ مسيسيبي - ميبعردُ مب بحلل ثق أديبا بو م رمؤُرخَّا رائدُا للدب الجنوبي ثكيف ل ؛ وهو واحدُ منِ المممثلّينِ يالفاعألّينِ والمعايشينِ للّواقُع الجنللوب ثي الللذي غللاص فللي استُكشاف التُراث الدبي ثمنِ مسقط رأسه " الديب ابنِ بيئتُه" . البدُء و النطلقُة منِ الجنوب مربللط ومركللز هللذه الدُراسللة التُي نسعى منِ خَّللها إلى تسلّيط الضوء عألّى موضوع الماضي الذي ا نسمتُ نحمدُ بث بو مبمع بث ممنِ نجدُيلدُ ممنلّقيلاة بمظلملله عألّلى الواقُلع الحاضر راسما للّمستُقبل . إ ثن الصرابر الممستُممرر للّثنظر إلى ال بخلّف والثتُللرردد الجللاثد فللي المممضلل يي مقُللمدُةما مهمللا مثنائيللة أخَّللذت ملل ننِ ماهتُمام أدب فولكنر بحيةزا هارما، و بشملّت مساحة واسعة منِ مؤُلفاته بنلّمسه وبن نسبتُقرئه في مجيل مرواياته . List of Figures Figure 01: A Composite Map of Yoknapatawpha County .....................................................59 Figure 02 : A Sketch Map of Jeffersn , Mississippi ...............................................................68 Figure 03 : The Compson Genealogy ....................................................................................82 Figure 04 : The Sartoris Genealogy ........................................................................................83 Figure 05 : The Sutpen Genealogy ..........................................................................................84 Figure 06 : The MC Caslin Genealogy ...................................................................................85 Contents Dedication …………………………………………………………...………… I Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………..... II Abstract …………………………………………………………….…………III Résumé ………………………………………………………………………. IV V.……………………………………………..…………………………… ملخـــص List of Figures....................................................................................................VI General Introduction ……………..……………………………………………1 Chapter One : William Faulkner’s Native Soil and the Mark of Time Introduction ......................................................................................................09 I.1. William Faulkner’s South ...........................................................................11 I.2.The Southern Literary Tradition ...................................................................15 I.3. The Root of All Evil ....................................................................................22 I.3.1. The Long Shadow of Horror in the US South : Slavery ....................22 I.3.2. The Civil War Era and the Advent of the Lost Cause .......................28 I.3.3. Cultural Roots ...................................................................................38 I.4. William Faulkner’s Use of History .. ...........................................................41 I.5. William Faulkner’s Myth of the South .......................................................48 Conclusion .........................................................................................................52 Chapter Two : Locating the Stage Introduction ......................................................................................................54 II.1. Yoknapatawpha County : A Place in the American South ........................ 56 II.2. Yoknapatawpha County as a Microcosm of the US South..........................64 II.3. Reasons For the Creation of William Faulkner’s Fictional World.............72 II.3.1. History ..............................................................................................72 II.3.2. Family ...............................................................................................79 II.3.3. Race ...................................................................................................86