AMSBE - semináře-poznámky

5th seminar, 29th November

William Faulkner

• He is from the South – in Mississippi – one of the poorest states after the Civil War – its economic depended on farming – and after war there weren’t slaves

• Born in 19th century, died in 20th century

• He is typical in describing how the South recover after the Civil War – he was a descendant of plantation owners

• His family used to be quite rich

• He was interested in stories told by old people

• He didn’t like the discipline of university life – he didn’t graduate so he started to write

• Pulitzer prize

• Nobel prize – 1950 – it “killed him” – lot of money, lot of publicity, lot of drinking – it affected his health

• The Sound and the Fury – a novel where the plot is a scene through the central reflector –Benji, adolescent with mental problems, people don’t take him seriously, he witnesses rape and many other serious events

• As I Lay Dying – about consequences of the Civil War

• Trilogy – evolution of the family, they are poor living in a small village, they become richer and move to the town, then become very rich and move to mansion – but there is a curse in the South → the curse was caused by the white settlers – first they massacred the culture of the Native Americans, then they brought people from Africa as slaves

  • The Hamlet

  • The Town

  • The Mansion

• He was an innovator

• Screenwriter – he wrote screenplays for money – he was broke all the time, he loved luxury

• Died of heart attack

13th December

William Faulkner

• This story represents the essence of south -

William Faulkner – A Rose for Emily

• This story represents the essence of south – defeat trauma after losing in Civil war

• Emily was an aristocrat but she hides terrible story

• It resembles detective story – we have to guess what happened → characteristic of modern literature

• Rose – represents respect for dead person

  • Flower of love, passion

  • Very expensive flower – considered one of the most beautiful flowers → Emily isn’t ordinary woman, she is an aristocrat woman

• Everybody in the town knew her

• “fallen monument” – because she died, and also she represents the South that was defeated

• The house is representation of her personality (the house is old, to paint the house you need money and she doesn’t have them – they used to be rich but aren’t anymore)

• “august” = imperial, highly placed

• The neighbourhood changed – “garages and cotton gins” – industrialization, modern town

• She is coquettish and stubborn

• She refused to pay taxes because she is proud, the family considers themselves to be above the others – she doesn’t want to recognize the authority

• “aldermen” – person who is responsible for city money

• They are polite to her because she is part of the history of the city, and also in the south men should behave polite to women

• She never had a job, only gave lessons of china-painting

• Negro servant is a witness of greatness but also of misery of the family

• The house is very dark – as a grave – it is prolepsis for what will follows