"Light in August"

Analytical Essay # 57906

English > Analysis
Literature > American

"Light in August"

An analysis of the theme of existentialism in William Faulkner's "Light in August".

2,091 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the novel, "Light in August," represents two groups of people who clearly hold different viewpoints on free will and the role of God in their lives. The religious fanatics, like Doc Hines and McEachern, see themselves constantly influenced by the will of God and, at times, guided by His very hand. It looks at how Faulkner projects existentialism's philosophy through the characters of Christmas and Hightower, who represent a dramatic transformation at the end of the novel.

From the Paper:

"Christmas' life is not without the influence left upon him by the essence before existence philosophy. The District Attorney, Gavin Stevens, states, "the black blood drove [Joe] first to the negro cabin. And then the white blood drove him out of there" (449). Stevens fully accepts the notion of the "one-drop rule," and represents the mindset of those who would have an influence upon Christmas in regard to his racial identity. During much of the novel Joe is following this rule and the notion of maintaining the purity of white women by telling the prostitutes he is with that he is part black and expects their disgust."