Other than a few short stories I’ve taught over the years, I haven’t read any Faulkner since graduate school 100 years ago. He’s obviously one of the literary giants of Modernism in America, and his experimentation with narrative techniques such as stream of consciousness mark his works. Nevertheless, some of the novels are more accessible than others. I remember four that I was able to take on with some measure of success: The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Absalom, Absalom!, and Light in August. So this year I decided it was time to teach one of his novels to my seniors, and I chose As I Lay Dying. (That’s probably how they feel preparing for the reading quiz right now.)
It’s not quite as experimental as I remember his stream of consciousness technique being, but that many simply be this title. I remember it being fairly daunting in some works, and completely impenetrable in others.
But the highly symbolic nature of As I Lay Dying struck me this time. I have no doubt that discussion is going to be interesting, as my students are already highly skeptical of all but the most obvious symbols already. “It’s just a blue curtain, dammit!”
I’m glad I returned to Faulkner after all these years. And at some point, I may pick up The Sound and the Fury again (probably not right away). His work presents a good counterpoint to some of the works I’m having them read for the AP Exam: some Victorian titles, plenty of British works, and even some contemporary titles. They needed at least one Modernist novel to throw into the mix, and I wasn’t ready to delve once more into James Joyce or Joseph Conrad (“The horror, the horror!”).
If you think your family is dysfunctional, this book is a quick cure. No family in America tops the families of Yoknapatawpha County for being messed up. The Snopes in his others stories, and the Burdens in this one, define dysfunctional.
It’s not quite as experimental as I remember his stream of consciousness technique being, but that many simply be this title. I remember it being fairly daunting in some works, and completely impenetrable in others.
But the highly symbolic nature of As I Lay Dying struck me this time. I have no doubt that discussion is going to be interesting, as my students are already highly skeptical of all but the most obvious symbols already. “It’s just a blue curtain, dammit!”
I’m glad I returned to Faulkner after all these years. And at some point, I may pick up The Sound and the Fury again (probably not right away). His work presents a good counterpoint to some of the works I’m having them read for the AP Exam: some Victorian titles, plenty of British works, and even some contemporary titles. They needed at least one Modernist novel to throw into the mix, and I wasn’t ready to delve once more into James Joyce or Joseph Conrad (“The horror, the horror!”).
If you think your family is dysfunctional, this book is a quick cure. No family in America tops the families of Yoknapatawpha County for being messed up. The Snopes in his others stories, and the Burdens in this one, define dysfunctional.
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