One theme commonly seen throughout the works of William Faulkner is tragedy. Faulkner’s novels and short stories are riddled with misfortune and sadness. Nice moments are few and far between, and usually last for a very short time. The morbid events that affect Faulkner’s characters are often inevitable, as in the characters have no way of escaping their certain demise. William Faulkner has a way of lining up these tragic events in a way that they appear circumstantial, yet none of his characters obtain the power to prevent or withstand their eventual downfall (Radloff). Growing up in Mississippi, William Faulkner was raised in an area that was virtually untamed, as it was rampant with crime and racism. He incorporated many of the problems
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When most people think of demonism, they think of devils and evil spirits. However, in the context of a Faulkner story, demonism does not refer to real “demons”, though he does use the language. Instead, “demonism” is not mean to be an actual description of a character in the story, but show significance of a major character within the story’s plot. Using the phrasing “demon” or “demonic”, Faulkner is able to show a character’s intentions and ulterior motives before any action is committed. So, using words like “demon” is actually a sneak peek into a character’s true intentions …show more content…
Something will be said or done that makes the reader wonder whether or not what just happened actually happened. By forcing the reader to question the legitimacy of the actions and words taking place, the existence of what is said and done is just as important as the actions and words themselves. Content and its existence come together to give the writing a hazy feeling (Lewis). William Faulkner’s technique is formed by taking his themes and incorporating them into a way of making the reader feel a certain way about the content. For example, in Absalom, Absalom, Faulkner gives tragedy a feeling like a never-ending nightmare. He does this by using extremely graphic descriptions of violence and crime. These tragic events are never relieved, as Faulkner likes tragedy to never end. Instead, the reader is presented with a constant cycle of tragic events that simply never end. This technique of unceasing terribleness instills in the reader a sense of
When most people think of demonism, they think of devils and evil spirits. However, in the context of a Faulkner story, demonism does not refer to real “demons”, though he does use the language. Instead, “demonism” is not mean to be an actual description of a character in the story, but show significance of a major character within the story’s plot. Using the phrasing “demon” or “demonic”, Faulkner is able to show a character’s intentions and ulterior motives before any action is committed. So, using words like “demon” is actually a sneak peek into a character’s true intentions …show more content…
Something will be said or done that makes the reader wonder whether or not what just happened actually happened. By forcing the reader to question the legitimacy of the actions and words taking place, the existence of what is said and done is just as important as the actions and words themselves. Content and its existence come together to give the writing a hazy feeling (Lewis). William Faulkner’s technique is formed by taking his themes and incorporating them into a way of making the reader feel a certain way about the content. For example, in Absalom, Absalom, Faulkner gives tragedy a feeling like a never-ending nightmare. He does this by using extremely graphic descriptions of violence and crime. These tragic events are never relieved, as Faulkner likes tragedy to never end. Instead, the reader is presented with a constant cycle of tragic events that simply never end. This technique of unceasing terribleness instills in the reader a sense of