Major Themes in Faulkners Light in August :: Light August Essays

Major Themes in Faulkners Light in August Faulkners Light in August is a metaphor. In fact it is many metaphors, almost immeasurably many. It is a jumble of allusions, themes, portraits, all of them uniquely important, many of them totally unrelated. In fact no 20th century writer has even approached the sheer total of symbolism Faulkner packed into every page, with, perhaps, the exception of James Joyce who went so far as to surpass Faulkner in this regard. So obviously it would be foolish to blast to trace every line, follow every branch to its root, one could spend a lifetime dissecting the book in this manner. Fortunately, in the midst of this menagerie of wonders, there are dominate themes. There are veins of meaning that permeate throughout. Chief among them Faulkners study of 20th century mans search for identity, and his compassionate portrait of the origins of evil. I arrest come from Alabama a fur piece (Faulkner, p.3). The reader begins the book in thi s manner, following the simple-minded and determined Lena as she travels, neither coming nor going, evidently moving. Immediately the book draws into her past, relating events leading up to this point, explaining her motives. One gets a definite feel for her character, and settles into her narrative, but as soon as this happens, the book switches gears, turning sort of to a vague character, Joe Christmas. With little introduction, or warning, the book reels into Joes past, catching the reader totally unaware and throwing off the entire continuity of the book. Faulkners desire for unity and coherency in the pattern is not as strong as is his desire for truth to individual response (Reed, p.123). Thus Lena is a frame, she serves only to accentuate Christmass story, by contrast. Faulkner demands the reader follow, and realize this. So we now see Christmass childhood. From the beginning, Christmas is two things. One, he is a totally clean slate in that he has no nous whatsoever of his past, his origins. He is neither predestined to good nor evil, simply born. By this same token, Christmas is left confused. Because he has no musical theme of his origins, he has no idea of self, even to the extent of not being sure of his