Prof.dr.

Rodica Mihaila
Course 3_3F
20
th
Century American Literature
3
rd
Year
Srin! Semester 20""
M#$%R&'SM A&$ ()% S#*()%R& R%&A'SSA&C%+
I. The Southern Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s (Faulkners first novel
Soldiers Pay-28; His best years: S&F2!; "i#$t in %u#ust&2; %bsalo'&(;
)$e *nvan+uis$ed&8.
- unifor'ity in t$e ,ultural situation -ortrayed :
a traditional so,iety;
t$e i'-ortan,e of fa'ily ties ( ri#idity of ,aste . se/ . ,lass0 ;
t$e sense of t$e 1ei#$t of $istory- t$e -ast is still alive . not 'ere
$istory;
t$e ,on,reteness of -ersonal relations$i-s;
- 2ississi--i - +uintessen,e of t$e old Sout$ ;
- )$e old Sout$ - $ad no ,ities
- volatile 'i/ture of e/tre'es - a 'anorial so,iety ; 'any bla,k
slaves ; 1$ite folk ,ulture is still inde-endent.
Ma,or fi!ures+
- 3rskine 4ald1ell. 4aroline 5ordon . 6at$erine %nn Porter
- 4arson 2,4ullers . 3udora 7elty . ) 7illia's . 8ora 9eal Hurston
Characteristics of Southern Fiction + - M. (homas 'n!e .
:. P"%43 - a definite lo,ation and environ'ent are used 1$i,$ are identifiably
Sout$ern.
2. "%95*%53 - s-ee,$ and diale,t are often self- ,ons,iously #iven a re#ional flavor
or re-rodu,ed a,,ordin# to a lin#uisti, s,$e'e.
&. F;"67%<S - oral traditions . folklore . and folk 'usi, often influen,e t$e style and
,ontent or -rovide ba,k#round.
=. F%2I"< - kins$i- and lo,al tries are e'-$asi>ed 1it$ alienation bein# t$e -ri,e
-aid for re?e,tin# t$e' until a return or re,on,iliation takes -la,e.
@. P%S) - t$e 1riter is ,on,erned 1it$ $istory . t$e -ast and lost ,auses. )$e -ast is a
-art of t$e -resent.
(. A;2%9)I4 53S)*A3 - sy'boli, a,ts and #estures are e/a##erated and
ro'anti,i>ed. )$e Sout$ern #entle'an.
B. I99;C%)I;9 - t$ere is e/-eri'entation 1it$ lan#ua#e . style . and for' to 'eet
t$e de'ands of all t$ese for,es and ,on,erns.
8. CI;"3943
:
/'LL'AM FA*L0&%R -"1234"252.
(died of $eart atta,k : year and & days after He'in#1ay0


FA*L0&%R: not 1idely read; :!=! 9obel Pri>e;
:. 6io!rahical detail s : born in 9e1 %lbany 2iss. "ived in ;/ford. 2iss. (Defferson in
$is 1ork0. 5reat #rand-fat$er 4olonel 7. Falkner (1rote a -o-. Sout$ern ro'an,e0;
$i#$-s,$ool only 2 years t$en :!:8 enlisted in t$e 4anadian Aoyal Flyin# 4or-s;
*niv. of 2iss. For 2 years; :!2=1ent to 9e1 ;rleans (friend 1it$ S$er1ood
%nderson0 t$en to Fran,e and Italy by 1orkin# on a s$i- (Pound in :!EB as a de,k
$and on a ,attle s$i-0. (sa'e tra?e,tory as t$e "ost 5eneration. but not -art of t$e
#rou-0; Carious ?obs: :!2@ ba,k to ;/ford F ,ar-enter and far'er. ot$er ?obs:
-ost'aster. bookstore ,lerk. Holly1ood s,ri-t 1riter (see Fit>#erald0; :!=!F9obel
Pri>e; :!@@: 9ational book %1ard . Pulit>er.; :!@B - 1riter-in-residen,e - t$e
*niversity of Cir#inia
2. 7eneral Remar8s a9out his literary career : Hi#$ -rodu,tivity (like 2elville0
- t$e ,ultural -attern of isolation . revolt and denial . t$e $erita#e of t$e %'eri,an 2Es
for'in# t$e novelist of t$e &Es rea,$ed an e/tre'e
- 2 'ain ele'ents of t$e -attern : :. )$e solitary . des-erate individual of
He'in#1ayGs 1ork H 2. )$e ,riti+ue of ,onte'-orary so,iety s-e,ifi, to Ios
Passos
- Pur-ose of $is 1ork : a. Jt$e -roble's of t$e $u'an $eart in ,onfli,t 1it$ itselfK
(inner dra'a of t$e $u'an bein# under stress for,ed to 'ake a ,$oi,e; 9. an
en,y,lo-edia of 'anners. 'orals and ,usto's of t$e -ost-4ivil 7ar Sout$ (to
evoke t$e -ast al1ays -resent 1it$ us. unlike He'in#1ay: no -ast. only t$e
-resent0. He deals 1it$ a traditional so,iety 1$ere $istory and t$e -ast are alive.
- With F. the cultural pattern of isolation, revolt and denial, the heritage of the
American 20s forming the novelist of the 30s reached an extreme. So far we studied
2 main elements of the pattern: . !he solitar", desperate individual of
#emingwa"$s wor%& 2. !he despairing criti'ue of contemporar" societ" in (os
)assos. Faul%ner extends the pro*lems of the individual to the whole South and to
histor". #is novels + novels of consciousness ,Fisher- and of identit" ,.enn
/ichaels-
- (he Southern Society in his :or8 :
%. L M t$e old ,lans ( -ortrayed 1it$ -ride and s,orn 0 : t$e Sartorises . t$e
4o'-sons . t$e Sut-ens . t$e Ie S-ains;
- on,e aristo,rati, -lanters - t$eir -resent des,endants redu,ed to #enteel
-overty . al,o$olis' . insanity . des-air. 7eak - suffer dee-ly fro' t$e sin of
slavery;
)$e Sno-eses - u-starts 1$o abuse t$eir ne1ly -1on title
- t$e ,o'i, e-i, : M)$e Ha'letM. M)$e )o1n M. M)$e 2ansion M
t$e s'all-to1n business'en . la1yers . do,tors . t$e 1$ite yeo'en .
#ara#e 'e,$ani,s
de#enerated -oor 1$ites- M%s I "ay Iyin#M
N. )$e 9e#roes . t$e Indians - treated 1it$ sy'-at$y : "i#$t in %u#ust .
%bsalo' . %bsalo'O . )$e *nvan+uis$ed
2
4. %lt$ou#$ very Sout$ern . in its 'yt$i, and sy'boli, +ualities . $is 1ork
#oes far beyond lo,alis': it is ,on,erned 1it$ t$e destinies of a ra,e and a
,ivili>ation.
3. (hemes : violen,e. -erversion. se/. 'urder. ra,ial $atred. t$e sins of t$e -ast. t$e #uilt
of t$e -resent
%ll $is 1orkFone book )$e -attern introdu,ed in Sartoris (<okna-ata1-$a. a 'i,ro,os'
of t$e Sout$ H a 'yt$i,al do'ain; a le#end fro' before t$e 4ivil 7ar to t$e :!&Es0
;. %<erimental de=ices of style and form
-Style: t1o ,ontrastin# 'odes of $is -rose: a. realisti,. ri,$ly $u'orous -rose.
e'-loyin# diale,t and s-ee,$ tones; b. -oeti,. r$etori,al,o'-le/ synta/ and
senten,es runnin# on several -a#es in len#t$
-S"m*olism and aestheticism *lended with realism and naturalism in a new
compound form
- t$e use of t$e interior 'onolo#ue ( )$e Sound and t$e Fury - t$e story told in
su,,ession by & brot$ers : Nen?y . Puentin. Dason 0
- Surrealisti, te,$ni+ues : use of drea's . revery
- )$e'ati, sy'bols . bibli,al -arallels . a ,ertain obs,urity.
&ARRA('>% S(RA(%7'%S
4onstru,ted narrative not se+uential. 4o'-ositional stru,ture . 'ani-ulation of 1ork by
t$e 1riter; fra#'ents. ane,dotes. flas$-ba,ks; no fra'e #iven (instead. sy'boli,
stru,tures0
Aenderin# of ,ons,iousness (not -ossible in fil'0inner voi,es. uni+ueness of
individual e/-erien,e (,ele -atru -ers-e,tive0; interior 'onolo#ue ,entered on
,onstitutive sy'bols (e/. P.=8 S$ado1 in Puentins 'onolo#ue0
Plot re-la,ed by ane,dote
)i'e-
Aenderin# of 3-iste'olo#i,al inse,urity Qdiffi,ult ,ir,ular readin#
('M% '& FA*L0&%R
- )i'e - -sy,$olo#i,al ti'e . flas$ba,ks . 'onta#e ( )$e Near 0
Frederic8 )offman+
- )i'e F a ,ontinuu' . is a fluid ,ondition 1$i,$ $as no e/isten,e e/,e-t in t$e
'o'entary avatars of individual -eo-le.
- )$e Faulknerian ti'e is a ,ontinuu' : ti'e flo1in# fro' -ast into -resent and
fro' -resent into -astRRR Aeality is not so 'u,$ ob?e,tive e/isten,e . but
1$at -ast and -resent $ave 'ade of an ob?e,t or event 1it$in a #iven set of
-sy,$olo#i,al ,onditions.
a. 3deni, -ast F 'yt$i,
b. %,tual -ast F be#innin# of $u'an $istory - :(!!-:8(E
,. 2a?or event F 4ivil 7ar - :8(:-:8(@
d. Ae,ent -ast F 1as
e. Present F :!2E -
- a. F slo1 . #radual re,onstru,tion of t$e -ast by a narrator e/istin# in t$e
-resent or e/isted in t$e re,ent -ast
&
- b. F t$e -attern of 'ove'ent -ast - -resent--ast or 1it$in -oints in t$e -ast
( t$e Sound and t$e Fury0
4Modernism: t$e strea' of ,ons,iousness novel (unlike Cir#inia 7oolf $e renders a
,olle,tive ,ons,iousness Qt$e burden of t$e -ast0-

(he !reat modernist :or8s of the "220s+ *lysses? (he /aste Land? >./oolf?
Proust+ Remem9rance of (hin!s Past@
()% S#*&$ A&$ ()% F*RYA the sin!le !reatest :or8 of Modernism in
American literature ( -ea,$ e/-eri'ents 1it$ ti'e and self-,ons,iousness about
ti'e. 0
-3a,$ involves t$e ,entral 'atter of sub?e,tivity. strea' of ,ons.. interior
e/-erien,e and 'e'ory.
-3a,$ involved te,$ni,al e/-eri'entation t$at -rodu,ed diffi,ult -roble's
of readin# and res-onse
-In ea,$ 1e feel t$e solitude of -ersons tra--ed 1it$in Jt$e 7all of
-ersonalityK (3liot0. t$e -rison of individuality and -rivate e/-erien,e. (ve>i fen,e in on
-.: in S&F0.
1. A novel of consciousness:
F. i'itated Doy,e in ,onstru,tin# $is novel out of t$e inner 1orlds and inner voi,es
t$e ,ons,iousnessof an Idiot. Nen?y. ,onfused and 1ailin#. an intelle,tual. Puentin;
a business'an. Dason; a fa'ily servant. Iilsey (t$e 1o'an 1$o is t$e ,entral fi#ure
-reservin# fa'ily life0. Four 1orlds. four 1indo1s onto a fa'ily -ast. Iifferen,e
bet1een t$e' F all ,ons,iousness is radi,ally different (re,o#nition of differen,e
for,ed on us by first se,tion: Nen?y S-ost'odern-stress on differen,e0

-)$e 4o'-sons -Faulkner ,o'-osed a 4o'-son %--endi/ (:(!!-:!=@0 for
4o1leys J)$e Portable FaulknerK for Cikin# Press
2. -An April Novel :
-See 3liot (,ruelest 'ont$0-'eanin#lessness reinfor,ed by t$e ele#ia, essen,e
-An Ele! (losses0 t$e title +uotes 2a,bet$s solilo+uy after t$e deat$ of $is 1ife:
T"ifeU is a taleVtold by an idiot. full of sound and fury.V si#nifyin# not$in#.
('eanin#lessness0 H e,$oes of lit. of t$e -ast
-%bout absen,es Nen?yFnon-e/isten,e of 4addy
()% S#*&$ A&$ ()% F*RY
- )$e disinte#ration of t$e fa'ily t$at ,lin#s to out1orn aristo,rati, ,onventions
- (he aim of the no=el : to ,onvey 'eanin#lessness
- t$e 4o'-sons - on,e lords of a #reat -lantation near Defferson and no1 t$ey
lead a de#enerated . -erverted life.
- Fat$er - -reten,e of -ra,ti,in# la1 ; $e drinks no1.
- 2ot$er - $y-o,$ondria, and -roud.
- 4$ildren : a. Puentin F introverted . s$y . ro'anti, . over-fond of 4anda,e.
F intelle,tual . student at Harvard
F s$a'ed by $er sedu,tion . $e ,o''its sui,ide
=
b. 4andan,e F 4addy - $as an ille#iti'ate dau#$ter 1$o steals
'oney fro' Dason and runs a1ay 1it$ a tent-s$o1 -erfor'er
,. Nen?y F && years old . but $is 'ental a#e F &
F feeble-'inded . in,a-able of s-ee,$ . ,o''itted to an
insane asylu'
d. Dason F business'an . 'ean . $ard . -ra,ti,al .rut$less
F re?e,ts $is an,estorsG idea of di#nity and $onour
- 9e#roes - Iilsey F bla,k 1o'an F t$e ,entral fi#ure -reservin# fa'ily life.
,ounter-oints t$e 1$ites
F $er #randson . "uster. 1$o tends Nen?y
- &arrati=e (echniBue F t$e story told in su,,ession F = -arts - strea' of
,ons,iousness : Nen?y . Puentin . Dason . t$e =
t$
is an ob?e,tive a,,ount
- )I)"3: 2a,bet$Gs solilo+uy after deat$ of $is 1ife : M "ife is a tale Vtold by an
idiot full of sound and fury . Vsi#nifyin# not$in#M.
F a novel 1it$ little sound and not 'u,$ fury e/,e-t deat$ of Puentin - 7$y W
:. e,$oes t$e literature of t$e -ast : S$akes-eare
2. a #reat ,lassi, 'odernist a,,ount of ele#ia, e/-erien,e of
'ournin# and ,elebration
- ele#y F ,elebration of life under t$e ,ondition of t$e loss of a ,entral -erson
F son# or -oe' - sorro1 or la'entation for a loss or s'b.Gs deat$
- t$e novel in t$e -o1erful traditional for' of ele#y - about losses F t$e loss of
oneGs vir#inity . loss of t$e ,entral -erson of oneGs life
F a se+uen,e of losses - #rand'ot$erGs deat$ . PuentinGs sui,ide .
loss of 4addy . loss of Nen?y F a,tivated by t$e ane,dote
F o-enin# 'onolo#ue - Nen?y - non-e/isten,e of 4addy
F 4addy - one t$at assists a #olfer es-e,ially by ,arryin# $is ,lubs
F absen,es
- Constructed narrati=e F a 'osai, of tones and voi,es : ta-e re,order of
voi,e F t$e tone and r$yt$' of s'bGs s-ee,$
a. :
st
se,tion F 2E voi,es
b. 2
nd
se,tion F :! voi,es
,. &
rd
se,tion F :E se,tions
- (ime is broken and rearran#ed - t$e day na'ed is only a base line : flas$-
ba,ks rat$er t$en 'e'ories
a. Nen?y Gs se,tion F B

%-ril . :!28 - t$ree days before 3aster
9. PuentinGs se,tion F 2 Dune . :!:E
c. DasonGs se,tion F ( %-ril . :!28
d. ;b?e,tive a,,ount F 8 %-ril . :!28
@