Light in August

Light in August William Faulkner Light in August by William Faulkner Faulkner strongly suggests that the open and honest criminality of the underworld is less contemptible than the avoidance and tolerance practiced by respectable middle- class gentility. Style Faulkner often described himself as 'just a farmer who likes to tell stories.' His style, however, was that of a consummately skilled craftsman. His luxuriant prose style and complicated plot structure make some of his works difficult to read. Despite the intricacy of his technique, Faulkner was a wonderful storyteller, and his comic sense matched his understanding of the tragic. Is this story humorous? Style Faulkner writes with an uncommon method of handling chronology (sequences) and of point of view. He often forces the reader to piece together events from a seemingly random and fragmentary series of impressions experienced by a variety of narrators. Faulkner's style often strains conventional syntax , piling clause upon clause in an effort to capture the complexity of thought. Faulkner's writing diverges from that of his realistic contemporaries such as Hemingway. http://shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/writers/Faulkner.html#bio Faulkner's works demanded much of his readers. To create a mood, he might let one of his complex sentences run on for more than a page. He juggled time, spliced narratives, experimented with multiple narrators, and interrupted simple stories with rambling, stream-of-consciousness soliloquies. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557215/William_Faulkner.html Style The language of his characters is based on popular Southern speech, and can be foul, funny, brilliantly metaphorical, savage, evil, and exciting. Although he wrote almost exclusively about the South he was not a regional novelist, instead examining universal themes of concern to all humanity . Particularly in his later works, Faulkner stressed man's power to prevail over evil and decay and to find new values when the traditional ones have failed. Faulkner’s Style How would you describe his syntax? How does sentence complexity, length, and structure enhance the meaning of the text? Is there repetition? Style Continued . What literary devices does he use? Is his writing strong with allusion? How does he manipulate point of view? How does he use word sound? Do you find experimentation in diction? Yoknapatawpha County Huh? Based on Lafayette Co., Mississippi 2400 square miles Population (Whites) 6298 (Blacks) 9313 William Faulkner, sole owner and proprietor Faulkner’s Hometown Oxford, Mississippi Equivalent to Jefferson in Light The University of Mississippi doesn’t exist in fictional Jefferson, however. 1932 = racial segregation was reinforced by law Jefferson Jefferson is the county seat of Yoknapatawpha. Northern Mississippi was Faulkner’s home. Many generations of his family resided there. Faulkner’s great-grandfather was famous for many things in the area. Acquitted of murder charges twice Severe disciplinarian Colonel of a group of raiders in the Civil War Owned the railroad Eventually became a state legislator He was murdered by his railroad partner after he defeated him in the legislature race. Faulkner’s family William’s grandfather was a lawyer, banker and assistant U.S. attorney. He was active in the “rise of the rednecks” Political movement that gave greater suffrage to tenant farmers. Both of these men were the basis for Colonel Sartoris and Bayard Sartoris. Faulkner’s Military Stint Because he was short and underweight, the U. S. Army would not accept him. He joined the Canadian Royal Flying corps, however. As a veteran, he was able to enroll in the University of Mississippi. He only stayed there a year. Then pursued various odd jobs. One such job was that of postmaster. “I will be damned if I propose to be at the beck and call of every itinerant scoundrel who has two cents to invest in a postage stamp.” Christianity Plays a big part in Light In Light , Christianity is self-righteous and vindictive, even racist and misogynist. Where do you see these things? Are there genuine religious characters in Light ? Where do you find the religious symbolism? What about Foster’s chapter on the Christ figure? Jefferson is Presbyterian and Calvinist Calvinists believe that God’s grace alone saves you. Your deeds and heart do not make a difference. Salvation is at random. He used these religions in order to introduce the ideas of predestination and of man’s depravity . Some of Faulkner’s strongest criticism is at the expense of self-assured piety. (reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations) “He despises stiff-necked and literal-minded righteousness. .” Male-Female Relationships Who are they? Are they parallel? Do they contradict some greater meaning? The Novel’s Structure There is juxtaposition between three different stories. Story 1: Lena begins and ends the novel. Story 2: Joe Christmas begins the second chapter and ends in the third-to-last. Story 3: Gail Hightower begins in the third chapter and ends in the next-to-last. .

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