Light In Darkness

Light in August is one of the most celebrated and controversial works by William Faulkner, the gifted American writer and Nobel Prize winner. It is Faulkner's longest novel and catches the attention of critics immediately upon its publication in 1932. Since the 1990s, the European and American literary critics have focused on this novel and made great analyses. This novel is a masterpiece with complex plots and combines the stories of Joe Christmas, Hightower and Lena. It explores racialism, touches on sexism and criticizes Puritanism.Faulkner's main concern, articulated in his Nobel Prize address is "the old verities and truth of the heart, the old universal truth lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed—love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice." Faulkner pursues these themes in his works which are heavily loaded with his desire to mold another world that transcends the corrupted one. Two worlds are constructed in Light in August: the natural, bright, simple, life-oriented world and the taboo-ridden, dark, violent, death-oriented world. Through the contrast of two worlds, the writer successfully develops the plots and makes good characterizations. Focusing on its wide range of thematic concerns centered on racial identity, sexism, and religious fanaticism, the author of this thesis attempts to analyze rays of light shining from the bright world in the exploration of the "plight world". Light refers to the affirmation of human spirit and opposes darkness which refers to the evils. The whole society is a dark house which fetters all the main characters. Though the light is dim and flickering in the dark world, it illustrates Faulkner's hope for his people and the human race.Chapter one centers on the development of Joe Christmas, a white with supposedly black blood, in his infancy and adolescence, which leads to his conflicting ideas towards his identity and race. His uncertain racial identity affects every aspect of his life. He is torn between the racial classification of being either a white or a black, but he finds neither of the identities fits him. His life-long struggle to create a personal identity turns out nothing, and he finally reaches individuality at the moment of death. What Joe Christmas truly pursues is not his identity as a black or a white but as a true human being. Woven with Joe's development was Joanna, who believes that it is her duty to devote her life to helping blacks, although equality can never be achieved. Joanna's relation with Joe indicates that the ideology of white supremacy intertwined with religion is inherited from her forefathers and is engraved in her mind. She is heavily burdened with and finally dies of her family heritage. Nevertheless there still exist compassion and passion for the unfairly ill-treated blacks, which may find its best expression in Hightower and Byron's unbiased and heroic deeds to save Joe though the attempt is in vain. Underlying Hightower's heroic deed lies the fundamental fact that Hightower resolves his alienation and is reborn by gaining self-awakening.Discussed in chapter two are some women who tried to break the strict social codes. Joanna opposes slavery and even sacrifices her life to help the black people. Joanna may be called a halfway rebel, and her courage challenges the submissive role played by the women of the old generation, who never raise their own voices. She seeks happiness in the way that moral standards don't allow, so she is always pulled back to be confronted with the social code. Lena, an unmarried mother, has symbolic meaning in this novel and represents the virtues of integrity and peacefulness. She usually appears in a light scene either in the natural light or in the candlelight. She serves as a messenger from a bright world, a model for the Southern women enslaved by men. She is disturbed neither by worry about the future nor by tradition. Her innocence and calmness melt away any disdain and also activate the humanity in others. Byron falls in love with her; Hightower is exhilarated after delivering her baby and finally steps out of his dark house. It is she who calls up humanity in Byron and Hightower.The third chapter turns to a careful scrutiny of Christianity, which is a southern heritage deeply ingrained in the minds of Southerners for generations. Yet it is mingled with other abstract concepts, such as racism or sexism, and seldom exists in its pure form. Christmas's grandfather and foster father are both religious fanatics, so their behavior, influenced by racial discrimination, distorts the true Christian spirit. Racial bigotry has consumed not only all Doc Hine's Christian charity but even his common sense; McEachern has plenty of fortitude in following his convictions, but he lacks kindliness,. human sympathy,and mercy. In contrast to their religious fanaticism, the cases of Lena, Byron and other women provide good examples to embody the true virtues of Christianity.It's well-known that Faulkner's novels are hard to read, and there is no exception with his Light in August. Since the first appearance of the novel, there has been far from complete comprehension. Its implication and allusions make it difficult to give this book a fixed interpretation. Based on the above elaboration of racism, women, and Christianity, this paper demonstrates that even though the tragedy of Joe and other characters is due to the doctrines of racism and Calvinism, which makes individuals its victims, there still exists hope among them. Human kindness does not disappear and surrender, but it remains as light shining in the world.