Aspect of Faulkner’s craft on Racism
Faulkner had a successful career in writing by the year 1940. He was a Southerner who wrote about his neighborhood. The Southerners wrote about their black neighborhood and the ongoing slavery. However, Faulkner wrote something different where he applied brutal realism. His writing brings reality to the wealthy, poor, and black. The human difference portrayed with story conflicts becoming racism. During the isolation era, there was a lot of killing in the southern battles. This period saw America’s depression, and poverty (Bassett 44).
It was at this time that Faulkner decided to express himself in writing short stories that narrated on what was happening in the south. By then the modernist movement was on the rise, and this changed story telling. Faulkner was the young man whose mind was full of bad images of the lynching of the black man that happened in towns. As an adult, he decided to write on the things that happened in the South, both positive and negative. He was to write on the unspoken truth (Bassett 44).
Faulkner was a white Southern and his country was going through a complex nature of racism. There were many bad memories from the rural area where he grew up. The region was still isolated despite the modernization that was on the rise. When young Faulkner left his hometown for big cities like New York, and Paris among others, he realized there was more to life than what was happening back home.
Anderson was the write who motivated Faulkner into writing. His writing on American life related between friends and strangers in the American society and their relationships. These characters got caught between their tradition lifestyles and loyalty. They also longed for modern life similar to the urban life they never had. This influenced Faulkner to write on the same line, and the changing lifestyles in America. His writing mainly focused on his hometown. His focus on the South brought images of racism that Anderson’s fiction stories had never written. Anderson once wrote on the African American but from a different perspective in “Dark Laughter”. He never addressed the issue of racism in his work.
When Faulkner decided to write on interracial relationships, his fiction became revolutionary. These novels brought about a new dimension in America’s writing. The relationships between the black and white especially in the south was no longer humorous, but treated with more seriousness. He made the leaders realize the racism that existed although untold. Faulkner’s writing on his homeland may have been because of many subjective. He used specifics from his life to discuss the issue on racism. In his interactions, he remembered Barnett who worked on their farm for many years.
The other great issue that influenced Faulkner’s writing was the lynching of a black man in Oxford while he was still a young lad. Patton is the black man lynched by hundreds of the locals before his death. This brutal incident was too much for little Faulkner, and his writings show it affected him to his adolescence. This incident needed address because it portrays the racial environment that Faulkner grew up.
Faulkner had also sent letters that showed the racial prejudice that existed not only in his homestead but also in the neighboring towns. The middle class affected by racism. It is these stories that turned Faulkner from the naïve boy to the famous writer. New Orleans is the place that turned the young boy to a great writer. Faulkner’s work repeats themes and he has a way of exploring the human nature and changing it to fit the community. This repetition has brought out the unspoken truth. There is a repeated theme that showed how a white boy turn from justice, and he chose involvement with the other white individuals instead of acting on behalf of a black who suffered or unjustly died (Bassett 44).
Faulkner is a writer who has expressed the truths on racial financial hierarchies through personal characters. However, he is quick to note that when these individuals placed together, their mass action can drastically change to evil. In the “: Unvanquished”, Faulkner shows how he had adapted the language of opposites. He worked hard to change the cultural, social, and language binaries. Race is undefined because research shows there is little difference between the human humankind. However, it is undeniable that racism exists. Faulkner worked hard to try to define it.
Race is within the society everywhere. Unfortunately, it is conspicuous where the skin color and hair texture is different. In America, the immigrants who include Africans, Latinos, and Asians are different from the white American. Racism, which comes with race, addresses through different governance, but it still exists. However, many people have opted not to discuss the issue because of its sensitivity. In the South, it was pronounced because of the cotton farms where the black men were labors. Most of the colored people have been suspects wherever there is a crime committed. In the old days, they were mishandled, and even lynched.
Faulkner feels that this human conflict is strictly because of the different cultures, language, and systems.
Unvanquished novel proves to be a racist’s novel to some extent following critical evaluation on the positive and negative depiction of the black characters by Faulkner. Determination of the racism aspect of the novel requires critical evaluation on both sides in relation to the depiction of race. Within the novel, it is easier to spot the negative depiction of the black characters than their positive depiction. In the first depiction, the novel portrays some of the black characters for their power of destruction and level of ignorance. This is evident in the depiction of illiteracy in Cassius in becoming the Marshall of Jefferson. It is difficult to argue against the element of racism within this context of the novel thus negative aspect of the black characters by Faulkner (William p. 153).
The essence of the novel requires individuals (readers) to concur with the forces of racism against their will. The novel also seems to offer extensive criticism to other black characters in relation to their pursuit and desire for freedom. This is evident in the depiction of Loosh as a corrupt individual within the society just because of his lust and the pursuit for freedom. The racism element of this context relates to the inability of the novel to explore or elaborate on the essence of lack of justification for the lust for freedom by the black character. The author of the novel also displays some elements of racism through presentation of some black characters in pitying themselves or sympathizing with their situation. These black characters are sympathetic in themselves (William p. 154). They also portray negative aspects in relation to the power of pervasive stereotypes that are cultural in nature. This context is evident within the novel through the depiction of the black characters such as Louvinia (the beloved black mammy) and Joby (the loyal family retainer in his old age).
Consequently, Faulkner also develops the plot of the novel through the depiction of the positive aspects of the black characters in Unvanquished. This is evident through illustrations of several concepts that relate to the black characters within the play. An example is evident in the demonstration of the migration of the slaves with reference to the river in ‘Raid’. The essence of the migration of the slaves to the river is a reflection of empathy and some elements of tragic irony. The aim of the author in this aspect of the novel is to depict the plight of the black characters with some elements of historical point of view and empathy (William p. 159). The author also portrays some black characters positively towards the development of the plot of the novel. To illustrate the positive depiction of the black characters, Faulkner adopts and develops the character of Ringo.
Readers cannot deny the positive portrayal of Ringo in relation to the features accorded for his role within the play. To illustrate the essence of positive aspects of Ringo, Faulkner portrays him as intelligent, dedicated, and funny. These traits supplement his bravery like the white master (Shuman p. 489). Ringo is a genuine role model in the novel because of the positive portrayal as a black character. He is also portrayed as enjoying almost equal treatment from the Sartoris family. This is reflected further on his participation in the Granny’s-mule stealing fraud. Ringo is also disciplined together with Bayard while upholding similar standards (Shuman p. 489). This level of treatment accorded to such black character aims at eliminating aspects of slavery from the development of the plot thus an act of evading racism. Faulkner to some extent uses the character Ringo to idolize and provide justification to slavery thus racism.
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
William Faulkner’s focus on racism cuts across different social groups in the American society. As one of the greatest Southern in America, Faulkner examines the lives of black people on the platform with the white families. The discrepancies in the social, political and economic factors among races constitute the greatest concerns of the William Faulkner. He breaks down the negative as well as positive outcomes of race and racial discrimination. According to Faulkner, the greatest beneficiaries of racial discrimination are the white families. Faulkner believes that the white families enjoy more and better privileges as opposed to the black people. Such privileges dominate the social, economic and political lives of the people of America. The children of white families have access to better education as they go to better schools as opposed to their black counterparts. Other social amenities such as health care and sports facilities presents another disparity as the black people always got a raw deal out of the entire arrangement. Racial discrimination manifest whenever ideological differences emerge in most societies. These come in the wake of healing and reconciliation following wave of conflict and social disorder due to racial discrimination (Shuman p. 489).
Apart from the social aspects being contributing factors to racial discrimination, they also reflect on the social class and strata. Most white families are on employment while their black counterparts are servants. This has led to a tussle between the economically endowed white people and the economically challenged blacks. Apparently, black people are servants in homes of the white families in the same state of Mississippi. Most of these black earn meager wages yet carry out tough duties in the white homes. They do house chores, work in the plantations and had to go numerous errands. The earnings they get at the end of the tiring period are disproportionate to the work. This has led to discontent and conflict from various quarters. The working conditions are deplorable enough to posing great risk to the health of the black servants. William Faulkner brings out the aspect of slavery in the kind or relationship between the two races despite the fact that they are all American citizens. The pattern of the Southern life at the turn of the century included a plantation on which the white as well as the black people lived separately. This kind of lifestyle characterized the lives of all members of the white and black families. The differences in the economic and social features of the two races led to escalation of instances of oppression. The privileged members in the society exercised coercion and tyranny targeting the black people. This would further complicate lives of the black servants (Bassett 44).
The political elements that contributed to increase in the level of racial discrimination include leadership in the government and in various state organizations. Racial discrimination dominated a range of appointments and selections to state departments and state-owned corporations. Apparently, the white families were accorded higher preference compared to black people. Employees of white origin occupied top positions hence controlling administrative and management roles in those organizations. The blacks were reduced to casual workers and messengers. As the whites earned huge packs, their black counterparts took home paltry salaries and wages. This trend in the political affairs of the state made life completely unbearable to the blacks leading to constant discontent and conflict (Bassett 44).
Just like in the other books, Faulkner has put more efforts in analyzing about racism in the book “As I Lay Dying”. He makes use of black living in the farms of the whites to present the theme of Racism. In the book, the setting is in Mississippi, which allows him to show the relationship between the blacks and the whites. Ansen Bundren and his family lives in the farms of the whites. Faulkner brings a picture of the family as suffering in the farms. There is a great distinction between the life of the two, with one family living in good houses while the other families are living on the farm (Bassett 44). Addie Bundren’s family has to work on the farm in order to satisfy their family needs. For instance, the author illustrates the poor living conditions in the farm when he depicts Addie Bundren, wife to Anse Bundren, as very ill (Shuman p. 489).
There is expectation that Addie Bundren would be dying soon a good illustration that there is no hope of getting a cure. The poor family living in the farm has to depend on fate for their own lives even though they inhabit the farms for the rich whites. The family are just preparing themselves with the coffin that they could use in burying the Addiee Bundren giving a depiction of loosing hopes. The setting of the book is in Mississippi an illustration that the drugs for treating the Bundren’s wife would not miss. However, this is not the case since the family does not even look towards buying the drugs. In this scene, the author shows that those living in the farm are afraid of going to the existing hospitals because of the existing belief that they are only meant for the whites who are the owners of the farm. This shows an act of racism whereas the blacks are dying in the farms (because of no cure) while the whites they are working for are sitting back (Bassett 44).
Further, the owners of the farms, Whites, seem to give little attention to their subjects, blacks. Even though, the Bundren family works hard in the farm, the farm owners do not seem to recognize their efforts. There is no single scene, in the book, that the owners of the farm set in to help the Bundren family, an illustration that there is great distinction between the two families. It is true that the farm owners had the potential of obtaining treatment for Bundren’s wife, but this does not happen as the wife dies. The involvement of the white family could have brought a difference as they have an upper hand in obtaining treatment for the wife. The Bundren’s family also comes out as doing everything on their own without the help of the farm owners, especially when they Cash struggles to prepare the coffin (Bassett 44). In every location, there are always people specialized in the preparation of the coffins; consequently, the efforts of the white families would have helped in preparation of the coffins. The situation where Cash prepares the coffin on his own also shows that the family income, if any, was meager to support their daily needs. This helps Faulkner in achieving the illustration of the whites’ exploitation on the blacks. The whites only see the blacks as the providers of cheap labor not considering that the latter also have the same needs. The author also shows the need for equality between the two races as this could have saved the life of Addie.
The inequality between the whites and the blacks also sets in when Cash breaks his leg on the job site. This shows the non-caring actions of the white, who should have taken the chance of providing healthy conditions for their workers. Cash goes home with the leg still hurt something that does not allow him to carry the duties at home. For instance, he is not able to lend a hand in carrying the coffin leaving Jewel, to manhandle the coffin. This is enough illustration of how the whites exploit the blacks working in their farms with the belief that they are superior to them. The jobs they provide to the blacks are not conducive for the blacks and they leave the latter unable to carry out their duties. Further, the whites (the supposed owners of the farm) do not seem to involve themselves in the ordeal that the family is undergoing. This shows the little concern of the whites on the well-being of their subjects (blacks) even though they should take them as their equals (Bassett 44).
Works Cited
Rueckert, William H. Faulkner from Within: Destructive and Generative Being in the Novels of William Faulkner. West Lafayette, Ind: Parlor Press, 2004. Print.
Shuman, Robert B. Great American Writers, Twentieth Century. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2002. Print
As I Lay Dying by Willaim Faulkner. Sunnyvale, Calif.: Shmoop University, 2010. Internet resource.
Faulkner and Race: Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha, 1986. S.l.: University Press Of Missi, n.d.. Bassett, John E. William Faulkner: An Annotated Bibliography of Criticism Since 1988. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2009. Print.
