美国文学9-William-Faulkner&Barn-Burning

WilliamFaulknerTheSouthernLiteraryRenaissanceBarnBurningHaoGuilian,Ph.D.YunnanNormalUniversitySpring,2014WilliamFaulkner(1897-1962)ANobelPrize-winningAmericanauthor.Oneofthemostinfluentialwritersofthe20thcentury,hisworksaresetinhisnativestateofMississippi.Whilehisworkwaspublishedregularlystartinginthemid1920s,Faulknerwasrelativelyunknownbeforereceivingthe1949NobelPrizeinLiterature.Sincethen,hehasoftenbeencitedasoneofthemostimportantwritersinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.TheelderFaulknerwasgreatlyinfluencedbythehistoryofhisfamilyandtheregioninwhichtheylived.Mississippimarkedhissenseofhumor,hissenseofthetragicpositionofblacksandwhites,hischaracterizationofSoutherncharactersandtimelessthemes,includingfiercelyintelligentpeopledwellingbehindthefaçadesofgoodoldboysandsimpletons.MajorworksHismajornovelsincludeTheSoundandtheFury(1929),AsILayDying(1930),Sanctury(1931),LightinAugust(1932),Absalom,Absalom!(1936),andTheHamlet(1940).HisbooksofshortstoriesincludeTheseThirteen(1931),GoDown,Moses(1942),andTheCollectedStoriesofWilliamFaulkner(1950).TheAmericanSouthTheendoftheCivilWaranditsaftermath:sharpeningandperpetuatingculturaldifferencestheeconomicdiscriminationslockedtheregionforyearsacolonialeconomyremainedbasicallyrural,agricultural,andpoorindustrializationwastransformingitbuttooslowlyTheSouthernAgrariansAppearedinthe1920,tookaclearlyexpressedanti-industrialstanceBecameknownalsoasthe“Fugitives”ExpressedaconservativeoutlookasawholeRejected“northern”urban,commercialvalues,whichhadtakenoverAmericaCalledforareturntothelandandtoAmericantraditionsthatcouldbefoundintheSouthTheSouthernRenaissanceasaLiteraryMovementTheSouthernRenaissancerefersroughlytotheperiodbetweenthetwoworldwarsThewriterswerefarenoughintimefromtheCivilWarandslaverytoregardtheirregionwithsomedegreeofobjectivityUsedthetechniquesofinternationalmodernism,suchasstreamofconsciousness,complexpointsofview,andjarringjuxtapositionsCulturalContextBythe1920sthetimewasreallyripefortheemergenceandfloweringofaBalzacianseriesofnovelsNearlyallthewritersofthisperiodtendtoseethestoryofindividualsinvolvedwiththehistoryofafamilyandthatinvolvedwiththehistoryofacultureandofaregionForthemthesocietywithwhichtheyareconcernedisatraditionalsocietyandthepastisstillaliveCulturalContextForhalfacenturythesouthernstateshadbeeneconomicallystagnantReconstructionhadnotreally‘reconstructed’thesocialpatternorthebasicvaluesAndnowthetimehadcomeforquestioningtheoldtruthsandthepastoftheirregion.Theresultwasanunusualsituationof“doublefocus,alookingtwoways”(AllanTate)whichprovedtobecreativelyfruitfulMembersoftheSouthernRenaissanceWilliamFaulknerAllenTateRobertPennWarrenEudoraWeltyCarolineGordonKatherineAnnePorterThomasWolfeThemesoftheSouthernRenaissance1.Theburdenofthepast:Itisthecomplexlegacyofshameandguilt,whichmakeshistorybecomeanindividual’sfate;ThisburdencanbegreatbuttheemphasisonthesocietalovertheindividualleadstotheheroicSouthernstoicism;Individualsfacedeclineanddefeatwithapublicfaceofbravery,fortitude,andnobility.2.IdentityTheindividual’srelationshiptohisorhercommunityiscloselylinkedtotheburdenofthepast;InNortheasternAmericanliterature,identityisproudlyanddefiantlyindividualinthePuritanandTranscendentaltraditions;TheSoutherner’sidentity/honorisbasedonhisorherstandinginthecommunityandfamilydeterminedbytheburdenofthepast.Faulkner’sWritingstyleingeneralFaulknerisknownforanexperimentalstylewithmeticulousattentiontodictionandrhythm.IncontrasttotheminimalistunderstatementofhiscontemporaryErnestHemingway,Faulknermadefrequentuseofstreamofconsciousnessinhiswriting,andwroteoftenhighlyemotional,subtle,intellectual,complex,andsometimesGothicorgrotesquestoriesofawidevarietyofcharacters—rangingfromformerslavesordescendentsofslaves,topoorwhite,agrarian,orworking-classSoutherners,toSouthernaristocrats.NobelAcceptanceSpeechOurtragedytodayisageneralanduniversalphysicalfearsolongsustainedbynowthatwecanevenbearit.Therearenolongerproblemsofthespirit.Thereisonlythequestion:WhenwillIbeblownup?Becauseofthis,theyoungmanorwomanwritingtodayhasforgottentheproblemsofthehumanheartinconflictwithitselfwhichalonecanmakegoodwritingbecauseonlythatisworthwritingabout,worththeagonyandthesweat.Hemustlearnthemagain.Hemustteachhimselfthatthebasestofallthingsistobeafraid;and,teachinghimselfthat,forgetitforever,leavingnoroominhisworkshopforanythingbuttheoldveritiesandtruthsoftheheart,theolduniversaltruthslackingwhichanystoryisephemeralanddoomed—loveandhonorandpityandprideandcompassionandsacrifice.Untilhedoesso,helaborsunderacurse.Hewritesnotoflovebutoflust,ofdefeatsinwhichnobodylosesanythingofvalue,ofvictorieswithouthopeand,worstofall,withoutpityorcompassion.Hisgriefsgrieveonnouniversalbones,leavingnoscars.Hewritesnotoftheheartbutoftheglands.BarnBurningBarnBurningThestoryopenswithAbnerSnopes,thefatherofyoungSartorisSartySnopes,beingdrivenoutoftownafterburningdownaneighboringfarmer'sbarn.TheSnopesfamilyisorderedtomovetobeginlifeanew,butAbnercannotseemtocontrolhispyromaniaandhatredforsociety