Abstract This paper takes a close look at two major scenes in William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" in which white bodies are denied entrance by black bodies. The paper looks at how this affects the characters' understanding of their racial identity and examines how these images of doorways and thresholds relate to the murder of Charles Bon.
From the Paper "In his article, ?Behind Closed Doors: The Unknowable and Unknowing in Absalom, Absalom!,? Herberden Ryan states, "the most crucial moments of the story involve the crossing of some thresholds, and the threshold between narrated events (past) and the narration of them (present) is perhaps the most basic" (295). In particular, Ryan examines two key door scenes, the young Thomas Sutpen's attempt to enter the slave-owner's front door in Tidewater, Virginia in 1820; and Rosa Coldfield's attempt to pass Clytie Sutpen at Sutpen's Hundred in 1865. In their own way, both Sutpen and Rosa make it through their doorways, but at a great price, and in many other ways what they find on the other side is not always what they thought they would find. Furthermore, as Ryan argues, the readers of Absalom, Absalom! are often faced with their own doors as some events are hidden or witheld from them by Faulkner as means of narrative technique."
Abstract This paper reviews and critiques William Faulkner's novels "The Sound and the Fury" and "Absalom! Absalom!". The author maintains that both novels share the same objective -- to demonstrate the way in which people perceive and interpret past events. Furthermore, both works forgo traditional, chronological writing, opting instead for stream of consciousness. The paper explains that these techniques, coupled with strong characterization, reveals not only the novels' major themes but also some of the smaller, underlying themes hidden within the pages.
From the Paper "As with many of Faulkner's writings, 'The Sound and the Fury' and 'Absalom! Absalom!' share the common prevailing theme of the destruction of the South or society post-Civil War. Another important theme, but only within 'The Sound and the Fury' is that of time, one's perception of time, and the affect of time. However, reading deeper into the novels reveals several other important if not prevalent themes. For instance the destruction of the family and of the self. The novels, though, are essentially one in the same despite the obvious differences such as the story being told differently or the use of different characters with the exception of Quentin. Furthermore, many of the events, as well as the characters, within 'The Sound and the Fury' are merely reflections of those present in 'Absalom! Absalom!'."
Abstract This paper explores the concept of intersectionality, which is the belief that systems of oppression reinforce each other. The author points out that William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" is a novel that demonstrates that race and class are not only important because of what they culturally represent but also because of how the labels, such as "black", can affect the way people view and treat one another. The paper also relates that this book illustrates how race, in both a social and a biological sense, and class cannot be looked at as two separate entities but, instead, must be viewed as concurrent and coexisting ideas. The author presents the novel from the view point of the protagonist Thomas Sutpen.
From the Paper "Thomas Sutpen experiences an intersection of race and class when he is a young boy. Sometime during his youth, his father asks him to deliver a message to one of the rich whites in town. He does, and when he gets to the front door, a black man answers. The man was a servant of some kind and asked Sutpen to come around to the back door. Before this incident, Sutpen's only "trouble was innocence." He had believed that white men were white and black men were black, and that automatically put the whites on top of the blacks."
Abstract This paper discusses how both Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and Dryden's 'Absalom and Achitophel' reflect similar methods in showing the temptation of their characters. Though numerous similarities exist, the temptation scenes from the poems seem to be most common in two ways: the techniques and language used by both tempters the serpent and Achitophel and the actions and reactions of the tempted characters, Absalom and Eve. The bath further discusses how during both of these the use of Biblical description and language as well as commentary on God's word is also present in both.
From the Paper "Through the examination and comparison of these areas it is easy to establish the connection in pervasive and effective verse incorporated into both poems. Both Achitophel and the serpent are highly persuasive during the temptations. Both call upon the vanity of their subject, calling them royal names and flattering them."
Abstract This paper is on the book "Absalom" written by William Faulkner, addresses the great burden on American history, racism. It includes, though the writer wrote about Mississippi, what did he described that could have clearly easily been said about the Florida plantation region. And what does Faulkner tell us about racism particularly in the south, how has racism affected Florida's past and present?
Abstract This three-page undergraduate paper is on the book "Absalom" written by William Faulkner, addresses the great burden on American history, racism. It includes, though the writer wrote about Mississippi, what did he described that could have clearly easily been said about the Florida plantation region. And what does Faulkner tell us about racism particularly in the south, how has racism affected Florida's past and present?
Abstract This paper analyzes the poem, "Absalom and Achitophel", by John Dryden, in which the Whigs and their leader, the Earl of Shaftsbury, attempt to overthrow King Charles II by means of the scandalous popish plot. By exposing Slingsby's personal vices of deception and greed, Dryden's satire attempts to persuade the people that the Whigs are unfit for rule and of the guilt of their leader, the Earl of Shaftsbury. The author of this paper looks at the satire within the poem and discusses the historical themes of law and metaphorical references to the bible throughout the paper. The paper asserts that Dryden utilizes biblical characters to represent members of the conspiracy. Furthermore, by the use of satire, Dryden exposes the vices of deception and greed for money and power within Bethel's personality. Ultimately, the paper states that Dryden successfully demonstrates the complete failure of the Whigs leadership abilities and the Popish Plot.
From the Paper "Another example of Slingsby Bethel's vice of depiction and greed is in his inability to uphold the law. First, we must recall the popular neoclassic belief about Law as defined by Thomas Hobbe. In the biblical story of Adam and Eve, mankind's innocence is tragically disregarded by a moment of self-will, thus sealing mankind's natural instinct of selfishness and greed. Therefore, laws were created to keep mankind's natural instinctual yet destructive vices of deception, selfishness, and greed in check. In short, laws are regarded as good. There are two examples of Dryden's indictment of the sheriff's callousness to Hobbian Law. The first example of reckless abandonment of the law is demonstrated in the following passage; 'His hand a vare of justice did uphold; His neck was loaded with a chain of gold' (595). In these lines, the sheriff seemingly upholds justice. However, he is chained by the wealth of the Whigs which provides him 'gold' far behind his means. The sheriff is bribeable, which leaves the law unstable and for sale. Also, Bethel is not autonomous in his duties; he is collared by a gold chain held firmly by the Whigs. Perhaps a better example is demonstrated when Dryden explores Slingsby's philosophy on the law. 'For laws are only made to punish those who serve the king and to protect his foes' (610). This line clearly shows Slingsby's selective use of the law. The sheriff believes laws only apply to the loyal Torries, not the disloyal Whigs. Therefore, the sheriff and the Whigs are above Hobbian law, leaving them guilty of sin, without morality, and incompetent to rule."
Abstract This paper discusses how Rosa Coldfield stands as the most prominent link between past and present in William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" The paper looks at the initial impression of morbidity and death that the reader encounters with the character. It then shows how Rosa's deeper role in the novel is unfolded by her strong presence and the way she forcefully affects the present.
From the Paper "In having this character, who is stuck in the past, so profoundly affect present events, perhaps Faulkner is using the character of Miss Rosa to make a larger point. Even though events may be several generations past and be shrouded by the obscure myths of hazy memory and deceit, these past events affect the here and now decisively. Perhaps the grim moral that both Absalom, Absalom! and Miss Rosa teach us is that not only are our own pasts inescapable, but the past of our forefathers may also come back to haunt us."
This paper explores how the environment shapes the personalities and lives of the main characters in Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man", William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom" and Richard Price's "Clockers".
Abstract What makes us who we are? The paper conveys how the diverse narratives of "Invisible Man", "Absalom, Absalom" and "Clockers" all come to the same conclusion. Although a human being may possess an ordinary or noble nature, these works show how ultimately it is the person's social environment that shapes the path of his or her life. The paper discusses how these books do not present utterly helpless visions of the human character. The paper shows how all of the protagonists have basic impulses that encourage them to become educated and to make something of their lives. The paper shows, however, how these works illustrate the extent society limits the reach of their aspirations and the way that others perceive them.
From the Paper "For example, the life Ralph Ellison's protagonist in Invisible Man is constrained by his society's constructs of racism and how it deems a Black man should live and act. He lives as a virtual hermit, in fear of White society, and taking comfort only in the sight of light reflected by electric illumination in his room. "I am nobody but myself," he says, believing that shutting out all other human beings is the only way to escape the fact that he is an "invisible man," as a persecuted and placeless Black man in contemporary America. (Ellison 1) Gradually, the reader comes to know his story over the course of a series of flashbacks."
Abstract This paper examines how, in his poetic works of "MacFlecknoe" and ?Absalom and Achitophel?, John Dryden focuses on the idea of coronation to degrade his satirical target. It looks at how "MacFlecknoe" centers around the crowning of a new "king of bad writing", whereas ?Absalom and Achitophel? satirizes the very realistic predicament of a threat to the English crown. It also explores how, during the 18th century in England, the folk custom of carnival was very popular and how Dryden derived his royal satires from these traditional English carnivals.
From the Paper "Dryden was no doubt familiar with these carnivals of misrule (Combe 5). During the observance of Twelfthtide in England, the carnival was in full swing; "Dating from at least the twelfth or thirteenth century, a Lord of Misrule was commonly appointed to oversee the Chistmastide revels at the royal court, in noble households, in various municipalities, at the universities, and at the London law schools" (Combe 5). The Christmastide carnival at the Inns of court was probably the most influential to Dryden, for it was the most complete ritualistic carnival at the time (Combe 6). During this carnival, a Lord of Misrule was crowned, termed the Christmas prince; the carnival began on December 21, and the disorder lasted for about four weeks (Combe 6)."
Abstract This paper compares Dryden's Achitophel, from his much celebrated political allegory ?Absalom and Achitophel,? with Keats? nightingale, from the first of his famous May odes, "Ode to a Nightingale". Several common characteristics, such as their profound psychological influence over others are outlined.
From the Paper "In Dryden's work, Achitophel, the symbolic representation of the Earl of Shaftesbury, gains the ear of David's ambitious son Absalom (i.e., Charles II's illegitimate progeny, the Duke of Monmouth). Achitophel encourages Absalom to believe that he could be and should be David's rightful successor to the throne. Of course, for many in Dryden's time, including Dryden himself, there remained the idea of the ?Divine Right of Kings,? and it would therefore be the sole choice of a leader to choose his successor, no questions asked. Any attempt to manipulate or influence that process would be nothing short of high treason, hence the poem and its allegorical re-telling of the scandal that rocked the English government in 1680."
Abstract This paper focuses, not on Faulkner's potential bisexuality, but on the textual examples within Faulkner's novels to demonstrate the use of homosexuality in exploring the themes of male homosocial pressures and homosexuality. The author points out that William Faulkner also uses blacks, women, the insane, and the mentally retarded as launching pads for Faulknerian creativity; and, despite being guilty of measures of racism and misogyny, he has an agenda, which is more progressive and egalitarian than his time and place dictated. The paper relates that homoerotic desire in Faulkner's work provides character layering, which adds motive, validity, and realism, and homoeroticism provides frameworks and parallels. Many literary examples.
From the Paper "The author created concepts of gayness to stimulate notions of anti-homophobia in Hightower, Joe Christmas, and Percy Grimm. Light in August concludes with the castration of Christmas by Grimm, which is a focus on the white Southern male's sexual crisis regarding black males, Now you?ll let white women alone, even in hell (LA 464). "But a homoerotic subtext also is at play in this moment" (Duvall, 62). Hightower exclaims that Christmas was with him on the night of the murder and Grimm furiously states, Has every preacher and old maid in Jefferson taken their pants down to the yellowbellied son of a bitch (LA 464). ?Christmas becomes doubly threatening to Grimm; in addition to violating the taboo against miscegenation, Christmas (as well as Hightower) is perceived as a pervert."
A comparative analysis of the narratives of "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway, "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren, and "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner.
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze four different types of narration in four novels. Specifically, it compares and contrasts the four different methods of narration in each of these novels. It looks at how each of these classic novels uses a different form of narration to set the stage for the characters and to move the plot along. Each form of narration adds to the impact of the novel, and altering the narration would certainly alter the way the novels affect the reader. It shows how these novels are excellent examples of the differing forms of narration and how important they are to the overall art of fiction.
From the Paper ""Absalom, Absalom!" uses a stream of consciousness type of narration that includes the shifts in points of view and setting that can be unsettling to the reader. This is the author's intention, for he hopes to show that these same items shift consistently in everyone's life as they search for meaning and truth. Sentences are so long and convoluted that they sometimes lose the reader, and yet they set the scene quite effectively. While this novel is difficult to read, many of the narrative passages are extremely poetic and emotional. For example, Rosa once says, "my presence was to him only the absence of black morass and snarled vine and creeper to that man who had struggled through a swamp with nothing to guide or drive him -- no hope, no light: only some incorrigibility of undefeat ..." (Faulkner 137)."
Abstract This paper discusses the Miller who appears in English author Geoffrey Chaucers "Canterbury Tales". The paper covers the Miller's flaws, his strengths and the character elements revealed through his story, as well as Chaucer's descriptions in the general prologue. It demonstrates how the Miller is a drunken, lavious man, but he is honest in his opinions and avoids affecting a religious or noble pretense like his companions.
From the Paper "The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, begins by describing twenty-nine people, each of whom is making a pilgrimage to Canterbury, England. By chance they meet in Southwark and decide to make the journey together. These twenty-nine characters encompass all areas of medieval life. There are religious figures, a pardoner, a prioress, and a monk. Then there are military figures, a knight and his squire. But the most numerous, and perhaps the most eccentric characters are the commoners, the Wife, the Merchant, and especially the Miller. Chaucer includes the Miller in order to contrast him with characters like the Knight and the Parson, who are noble and religious. Chaucer's descriptions of the Miller in the general prologue, when combined with the content of the Miller's tale, portray a character whose perspective is a sharp contrast to nobility. The Miller makes no apologies for his disposition. He is lecherous, outspoken, ostentatious, and a drunk."
Abstract The neo-classical age in which both John Dryden and Jonathan Swift penned their most noteworthy prose is often also called ?The Age of Reason.? However, although this valorization of reason and rationality may be a fair characterization of much of the Age of Human Enlightenment, Dryden and Swift do not deploy nor valorize reason in the same fashion. This paper shows that, for Dryden, reason is the key to humanity's connection with the Divine and political freedom. In comparison, it shows that, in Swift's social and religious satires, human confidence in its rationality is just as absurd as overconfidence in human religious, political, and social institutions to create just and fair societies.
From the Paper "Again, reason is the highest and best form of creation, and the parallel political figures satirized and defamed within the poem are those who are irrational and bad, rather than irrational and good. Dryden has faith in the concrete actions of God, where, ?Heav'n punishes the bad, and proves the best.? (44) In the Biblical account of King David the poet dramatizes in the poem, the justice of God is rational, and thus good, as opposed to the irrational modes humans deploy on occasion to understand God, and the irrational and lustful actions of some Biblical figures. Ultimately, in the last sentence of the poem, David is restored to the throne because he is "God-like" in his goodness.?"
