Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - English William Faulkners Light in August William Faulkners Light in August William Faulkner’s study of 20th century’s man search for self, in the novel Light in August, shows us the darker side of humanity – the sense of being alienated. Among many of his books, he uses alienation as one of his major themes. Alienation occurs in humans when there is a sense of isolation, depersonalization, disenchantment, estrangement, or powerlessness. Alienation has been considered an especially important issue during the twentieth century. It's often noted as being at the heart of modern dissatisfactions-- especially of youths, women and racial minorities. (Artlex, al-am) In Light in August, Faulkner presents us with the major theme of alienation through several techniques. Three techniques I will discuss in my essay are: the setting – how it emphasizes the alienation, the shifting in time in the plot – as we are explained how alienation came to be apparent at that present time, and how the misogynistic tone of the novel adds to the theme of alienation. The central setting in Light in August takes place in the town of Jefferson. We are presented with several areas in this small town. Many of which are secluded from the rest of the community. Faulkner’s choice of setting adds to his central theme of alienation. For example, Jefferson’s ex-preacher, the Reverend Gail Hightower, has taken residence in a small cabin deep into the woods of Jefferson after the scandal of his wife’s mysterious suicide. After being forced to resign from the church, he becomes a recluse in the woods; having only one contact – his advisor to the outside world, Byron Bunch. Faulkner describes Hightower’s cabin in the beginning of chapter 3, “From his study window, he can see the street. It is not far away, since the lawn in not deep. It is a small lawn, containing a half dozen lowgrowing maples. The house, the brown, unpainted and unobtrusive bungalow is small too and by bushing crape myrtle and syringa and Althea almost hidden save for the gap through which from the study window he watches the street. So hidden it is that the light from the corner street lamp scarcely touches it.” (pg. 52) Faulkner’s description emphasizes Hightower’s alienation in the town of Jefferson as we are told that the house is hidden from the rest of the community. The reader gets a sense of Hightower’s current life, as he watches the community of Jefferson he is not included in, from the secluded “box” he calls home. We are also presented with another secluded area in Jefferson, the Burden house. As Christmas first drifted into town, he had described the house, “It was a big house set in a grove of trees; obviously a place of some pretensions at one time. But now the trees needed pruning and the house had not been painted in years.” (pg. 213) The description of the landscape, “the trees needed pruning and the house had not been painted in years”, paints the reader a picture of a secluded house hidden from the community of Jefferson. Not only was the house poorly cared for, it was also situated deep into the woods, right beside a Negro community. The Burden house and Hightower’s cabin in the woods are both described as mysterious places hidden from the community of Jefferson. The setting gives the reader a sense of loneliness in both characters as they are alienated from society in the confines of their shelter. In the novel, we are presented with different narrative point of views. Therefore, we experience the thoughts and feelings of each character as they are introduced into the novel. Although, all of the characters have one thing in common: they are all products of alienation. Faulkner uses the shifting in time in the plot, from present to past, to support the theme of alienation. We are first told the story of the Burden house burning down, and then the plot jumps to tell the reader the past lives of the characters experiencing or witnessing the fire. The central character, Joe Christmas, is supposedly, the source of the fire. We are told he is a mysterious drifter who keeps to himself. He is also Ms. Burden’s lover and lives in a cabin behind her house. He was told all throughout his life he was part Negro, enough to believe it himself. But how did he get to be alienated from society? We are shifted back in time to Christmas’s childhood in the orphanage. “He hung from the hands, limp, looking with slack-jawed and glassy idiocy into a face no longer smooth pink-and-white, surrounded now by the disheveled hair whose smooth bands once made him think of candy. “You little rat!” the thin, furious voice hissed; “you little rat! Spying on me! You little nigger bastard!” (pg. 114). This incident with the dietician occurs when Christmas is only five. His alienation stemmed from that time as the dietician told him that he was a “little nigger bastard”. Not only did he feel alienated from the adults in the orphanage, there were also the children. “You knew before the other children started calling him Nigger.” (pg. 118). Even as a child, Christmas was regarded as a reject from the orphanage. Christmas’s past gives the reader an idea how he became to be a product of alienation in present time of the novel. We could also look at another character, for example, Joanna Burden, the lover of Joe Christmas. We are first told that she is a lonely secluded woman whose family is known to be abolitionists of slavery. The Burden family was shunned from the people in the South because of their beliefs of slavery. “They hated us here. We were Yankees. Foreigners. Worse than Foreigners: enemies. Carpetbeggers. Threatening white supremacy”. (pg. 235). The Burden families’ beliefs caused Joanna to become alienated from society. Presenting the reader with the past gives them an idea how each character became alienated in the story. Thus, the shifting from present to past, is an effective technique Faulkner uses to present the theme of alienation. Faulkner’s portrayal of alienation as a central theme in Light in August is heavily emphasized in the misogynistic tone of the novel. We feel a sense that Joe Christmas has hatred towards women from his reaction to several experiences involving the opposite sex. We are apparent of his hatred towards women when he is an adolescent as he enters a small shack, where a young Negro girl is waiting. “He kicked her hard, kicking into and through a choked wail of surprise and fear. She began to scream, he jerking her up, clutching her by the arm, hitting at her with wide, wild blows, striking at the voice perhaps, feeling her flesh anyway, enclosed by the womanshenegro and the haste.” (pg. 147) His violence and hatred towards women stemmed from his childhood and his upbringing. As a result, caused him from being alienated from women. The author also presents us with different female characters – all being labeled as either “prostitutes”, “whores” or unmarried pregnant women. Joe Christmas falls in love with Bobbie Allen, a prostitute living in a brothel with her pimp. We are also told about the story of Hightower’s deceased wife, who subsequently, before she died, often went to Memphis to meet another man. Faulkner’s use of characters adds to the misogynistic tone of the novel. Society sees prostitution and adultery subjects of disapproval and sin. As a result, those involved in a sinful act become alienated in their community because of the disapproval of their lifestyles. The misogynistic tone is meant to give the reader the feeling of alienation. Joe Christmas’s hatred towards women adds to his alienated character. While the use of negative female roles, adds to the theme of alienation. Alienation is a concurrent theme in many of the Faulkner’s novels. He presents us this theme clearly in Light in August with his descriptive choice of setting as we are walked through Jefferson from the Reverend Gail Hightower’s cabin to the mysterious estate of Joanna Burden. The slightly complicated plot tells the story of each character and how they reached to the present time of alienation. And his use of tone, misogynistic in nature, adds to the central theme. Faulkner’s use of these three techniques allowed the reader to recognize and relate to the feeling of alienation. Bibliography: Word Count: 1391
Copyright © 1998-2008 College Term Papers, INC All Rights Reserved. DMCA Notifications and Requests