The Comparison between "The Sound and The Fury" and Absalom! Absalom!

Abstract

William Faulkner was criticized as a nihilist lacking in humane concern due to the portrayal of violence and incest in his works. However, critics represented by Malcolm Cowley reevaluated Faulkner as the greatest writer of America. This thesis intends to prove that Faulkner has never ceased his exploration of humanity as well as of narration techniques from The Sound and the Fury through Absalom, Absalom!. In the former book, we find Faulkner's major concern for native problems exemplified by the voiceless situation and ”ghost” image of Southern women. In the latter one, Faulkner not only continues his focus on gender issue but also portrays the difference between the white and the black as well as that between the whites, which finally leads to the destruction of humanity. While Faulkner was long considered a modernist elite for the modernist techniques used in The Sound and the Fury, certain characteristics of postmodern literature, such as indeterminacy of text, intertextuality and metafiction features are displayed in Absalom, Absalom!. The thesis also tries to prove that Faulkner's persistent exploration of the narration techniques serves his theme of humanity.