Faulkner and Modernism

                The majority of William Faulkner’s work was published during the literary movement known as Modernism, which lasted roughly from 1914 until the end of WWII in 1945. The writers from this period were eager to challenge not only the accepted norms, tradition, and structure in literature, but also in the world of public policy, where inequality and immorality were deconstructed. In terms of literary structure, modernists played with the concept of time, character, and causation in a manner that could obscure the plot. 

This level of experimentation was not lost on Faulkner, who repeatedly used multiple viewpoints or narratives in order to tell his stories, sometimes repeating events from different narrators in order to demonstrate the power of perspective on history and how individuals are shaped by their perception. In As I Lay Dying, the children’s opinion of their mother is characterized by her treatment towards them prior to her death, and influences their recollection and attitude towards her dying wish to be buried in Jefferson. The use of stream of consciousness envelops the reader in the thought process of the narrator, and forces the reader to consider events through the perceptional lens of another person. The concept and passage of time was another literary instrument with which Faulkner toyed, often inserting flashbacks and repeating events from different perspectives. The use of flashbacks was intended to illustrate to the reader the importance of the past upon the present. Faulkner believed the two to be inseparable and interconnected.

The use of literature for social commentary was another characteristic of modernist literature. Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi at a time when Southerners were oddly nostalgic of a period of time when another race was subjugated and was still being marginalized by policy. Faulkner idealized intensely intellectual people hiding behind the façade of a southern “good-old boy” like himself, yet he understood the inherent hypocrisy and inequality of southern treatment towards blacks. He used not only his literature to expose this, but also his public appearances after coming to prominence.

Faulkner’s willingness to experiment with time and narrative structure lead some readers to call his work “difficult” to read. This sentiment influenced the title of this blog, “Enduring Faulkner,” as it reflects not only to his influence and lasting legacy in the literary world, but also the sometimes trying experience this experimentation present to the reader. Nonetheless, this capacity for experimentation makes for a challenging and rewarding read, and the impact of his work can still be seen in today’s literature.


Works Cited:

Reed, Joseph. Faulkner's Narrative. New Haven: Yale UP, 1973.

Inge, Thomas M. "William Faulkner: Modernism Unvanquished - November 22, 2006." The New York Sun. The New York Sun, 22 Nov. 2006. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nysun.com/arts/william-faulkner-modernism-unvanquished/43926/>.

Walker, Ronald. "The Problem of Plot in the Modernist Text: The Example of Faulkner by R. Walker(PIPA Fall 97)." Eastern Illinois University :: Charleston, Illinois. PIPA, 19 Sept. 2008. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://castle.eiu.edu/~ipaweb/pipa/volume/walker.htm>.