William Faulkner

Stacie D’AngeloAmerican Literature II

New Albany, Mississippi

William Faulkner is not only noted as one of the greatest American authors to date but also one of the greatest

world authors. He was born and raised in New Albany, Mississippi and later based characters in his work around

the names and faces of his neighbors.

The Rural SouthFaulkner began

writing for himself, believing that there was no money to be found in such a hobby. The rural south was going through drastic changes at the start of his career; guilt from slavery and the burden of the past left on both white and African American citizens, a change in social statuses and the romance of the aristocratic behavior of southern landowners.

Early Accomplishm

entsAs we know, William Faulkner was born into a southern family in Oxford, Mississippi. Once the legal age he joined the Canadian Air Force and later during World War I he enlisted and fought on the side of the British, Royal Air Force. Following the war Faulkner began studying at the University of Mississippi and worked part-time for a New York bookstore.

A Giant in American Literature

William Faulkner’s most impressive accomplishment is not something that is obvious to the reader’s eye, it takes a bit of research to uncover. Faulkner, a young man who never received his high school diploma or earned a college degree, who was living in the poorest state in the country managed to become one of the greatest American novelists in history. with pieces like “Light in August.” All while supporting a family during the Great Depression, taking pen to paper as an emotional release.

The Sound and The Fury

As previously stated William Faulkner had no intentions of finding success as a writer, he began taking pen to paper for himself. However, once the public eye was

given the opportunity to appreciate his work his popularity spread like wildfire. Finally, an author who

was writing about the concerns of the common southern man. Finally, middle class men and women

were finding answers in their everyday questions regarding humanity. He released “The Sound and The Fury” published in 1929 a novel that Faulkner believed no one would understand. Although it truly was one of the hardest novels ever published it’s also one of the

greatest.

Modern ApproachFaulkner found success in

using modern methods in his writing, he would introduce multiple characters and jumble chronological order. He was able to develop characters without dialogue. He also builds strong character foundations by basing his roles off of local personalities in his small hometown of Oxford, Mississippi.

As I Lay Dying

One of the very first pieces of the Southern Gothic movement and the gruesome short story in

which Faulkner broke the ice and

skyrocketed in popularity.

Poetry and Short StoriesBeginning in the early 1920’s

Faulkner experimented in the worlds of poetry and fiction stories. William Faulkner’s last name until the 1920’s was spelled “Falkner” however, a printer working on a verse of “The Marble Faun” introduced the new found “U” into the name where it stayed until his last day. To this day Faulkner is considered to be one of the finest writers of short stories, based on his work “A Rose for Emily” which has been placed in countless short story collections.