Biography
William Cuthbert Faulkner was born September 25th, 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi to Murry Cuthbert Faulkner and Maud Butler. He was the oldest of four boys born to the couple, who only decided to settle in Oxford just a few days prior to his fifth birthday. The setting of the American South, specifically Mississippi, would go on to feature predominately in his work. He explored the pressing issues of the day thematically in his work, including post-Civil War race relations in the South. Faulkner was an artistic child, and like many artistic children, became disinterested in his studies. His childhood sweetheart, Estelle, was an early and influential love interest, although she married a law graduate from Ole Miss before eventually divorcing and ultimately marrying Faulkner in 1929.
After attending Ole Miss for three semesters, Faulkner dropped out in 1920 and attempted to enlist in the US Army. He was rejected due to his small stature, standing just 5’ 5”, and chose instead to enlist in the British Royal Flying Corps. It is believed Faulkner changed his name from the spelling “Falkner” in order to appear more British, and his experience in the Corps. along with his literary influences led him to write his first novel, Soldiers’ Pay. While Faulkner had originally been interested in writing poetry, his novels and short stories are his most influential works. Many of these are set in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional setting modeled after Lafayette County where Oxford resides. After achieving early publishing success, Faulkner was discouraged at what he saw as a lack of willingness to publish the novels he wrote for pleasure. Ironically, these were the novels that would cement his legacy as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century, and includes his most critically-acclaimed work, The Sound and the Fury. Faulkner described the novel as “a tale told by an idiot,” and built upon the critical success of the novel with As I Lay Dying, which he envisioned as a “tour de force.” The novels feature multiple narratives by narrators with varying degrees of intellect and objectivity, and a “stream of consciousness” style woven throughout the works.
Success however, critical or financial, was not a guarantee in Faulkner’s life, and he turned to writing for Hollywood in order to support his family. Faulkner was a heavy drinker, and would binge upon completion of a project. It’s believed that Faulkner drank in order to escape the pressures of daily life rather than to assist in the artistic process. Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1949, and continued writing for personal enjoyment, Hollywood, television, and used his new found role as a public figure to speak out against the injustice of segregation and inequality in the American South until his death on July 6th, 1962 caused by complications from falling from a horse. His enduring impact on American Literature is still felt today, with many present authors, including Cormac McCarthy, acknowledging Faulkner as an influence on their work.
Sources:
"MWP: William Faulkner (1897-1962)." The University of Mississippi. The University of Mississippi, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/faulkner_william/>.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "William Faulkner" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography. New York: Random House, 1984
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