Faulkner Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Analysis

William Faulkner, a commemorated southern writer, argued for artistic integrity in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. He advises the writers of his day not to write based on the concerns of the present day when he says, “He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid…” (Faulkner par. 3). He recognizes that it is human nature to fear; thus, this must be acknowledged, so that one does not write deficiently of the human condition. Faulkner spoke in response to the authors of the 1940s who wrote primarily on postwar themes that would be inapplicable to future generations; while the prominent themes of the present differ from those of Faulkner’s time, the implications of writing in reaction to current political and social issues are the same.
Faulkner begins his speech by acknowledging his award is in honor of his work, not him as a man. He then directs young writers to capture the essence of human existence in …show more content…
He is defending the artistic integrity of literature, which he believes should stand on its own merit detached from historical events. Only literature of this approach will help men prevail. That being said, a work that encompasses the human experience in a manner that possesses merit detached from historical context may make a political or social statement without sacrificing artistic integrity. Falkner uses his speech as a device for his outlook to be heard by the young writers of his day, speaking to them in a manner that mimics thought and deeply appeals to emotion. The implications of writing derived from prominent themes of the present day without consideration of the human experience is that such writing will be inapplicable for future generations whether, written in Faulkner’s time or the present day. Because of the apparent influence that William Faulkner had on a generation of writers, it is apparent that Faulkner successfully contended his