An Analysis Of Otherness Of Characters In Light In August

As the winner of Nobel Prize in Literature, William Fau lkner is one of the mainrepresentatives of American Southern Renaissance. His novel Light in August hasattracted sufficient attention for its unique theme since its publication in1932. Mostcomments on this novel focus on its theme and narrative methods, with only a fewapplying Post-colonialism to analyze it.This thesis, based on Edward Said notion of Otherness from his Orientalism,mainly analyzes three characters Otherness in the novel taking into consideration theiridentical absence and life experiences.Firstly, as an undetermined mulatto, Joe Christmas Otherness is reflected in hisabnormal relations with woman and his deviation from the society. The ruthless ofsocial oppression and cruel orders render him unable to identify himself. Finally, hewho becomes the biggest Other died under the gun of racists.Secondly, as a descendant of northern abolitionist, Joanna Burden immerses in thepast family commission, which deprives her of the right to establish a normalrelationship with the society and expels her to the marginalization of the society.Accordingly, she is turned into an abandoned "Other". Then, as a southern descendant,Gail Hightower, being the epitome of the southern people, indulges in the past of hisfamily. Living in the memories of his grandfather’s heroic deeds, he fails to find aproper position in the real world. His actions are so inconsistent with the direction ofthe society that he is obliviously forgotten by the society. Consequently, he isinevitably turned into an Other.Thirdly, taking into account from social and mental factor, the thesis will analyzethe fundamental causes leading to their inability to find a position in the society. Thefatalism and original sin from Puritanism, and the racism which are utilized byracists, form an invisible and huge net covering them. No matter how hard theystruggle, they invariably fail to escape this net.Lastly, through expositing and analyzing the characters Otherness, the thesisreveals William Faulkner s condemnation of the negative influence of the racism andthe oppression on man s spirit in the novel, which also indicates that racism is a kindof subjective imagination without any objective basis. Meanwhile, this novel reflectsWilliam Faulkner s hope for love and eternity of human beings.