The Reality of Perception in William Faulkner's "Absolom, Absolom!"
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Authors
Carey, Roy
Issue Date
1979
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
One of William Faulkner1s major concerns in Absalom, Absalom!, as
the form of narration suggests, is the examination of the reality of
perception. Although the actual plot of the novel revolves around the
life of Thomas Sutpen, Faulkner does not focus his primary attention on
that story but instead deals primarily with the characters and the
motivations of his four narrators. The use of this perspective has two
major effects. First, instead of treating cold, historical events,
Faulkner frees himself to investigate the hearts and souls of his living
narrators as they are affected by the past. Secondly, Faulkner is not
limited by having to deal in concrete facts or known motivations. Much
of the Sutpen story is known only second- or third-hand, and other parts
are unknown and may only be guessed at by the narrators; various levels
of perception thus arise from the form of the novel.
Description
ii, 55 p.
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License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.