File spoon-archives/phillitcrit.archive/phillitcrit_2000/phillitcrit.0008, message 84


From: zatavu-AT-excite.com
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 09:12:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: PLC: Fairness to Faulkner



On Thu, 10 Aug 2000 00:21:50 -0400 (EDT),
phillitcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu wrote:

>  On Wed, 9 Aug 2000 zatavu-AT-excite.com wrote:
>  
>  > Let's get a few things cleared up about my comments on Faulkner. First,
my
>  > point was that Faulkner's relation to race and racism is at best
ambiguous.
>  
>  I don't think anyone disagreed with that.

The arguments so far have seemed to fall into "Faulkner was racist" and
"Faulkner was not racist," when in fact he was racist, but struggling
against racism in his own books.
>  
>  > Certainly in his nonfiction works he swings between support for
segregation
>  > and support for the eventual equalization of blacks (just not now, as
he
>  > says). In his fiction, the problem is even more complex. In his fiction
>  > Faulkner does not say what he thinks, but shows the actions or thoughts
of
>  > other characters, both directly and indirectly.
>  
>  Remember, no one so far has said that Faulkner says what the thinks in
his
>  novels.  But the characters he imagines and the dynamics of their
>  inter-relationship don't spin completely free of their author's
>  assumptions about race and human nature.

Of course not. No one's insights into human nature can be separated from
their own personal nature. THat would be contradictory.
>  
>   The passage quoted, for
>  > example, does not necessarily show what Faulkner thinks (though it
might)
>  > but does show the attitude of the characters involved in the passage.
It is
>  > a set up for the upcoming action.
>  
>  Are you refering to the passage I quoted from Light in August?  

yes
>  
>   Some have quoted "Go Down, Moses" as an
>  > example of explicit racism,
>  
>  Who? what was the argument.?

In discussing Sam Fathers.
>  
>   but in fact the book is much more complex than
>  > that. One of the heros in the novel is a black man who in his grief
kills a
>  > white man cheating other blacks. It seems, based on the way the text is
>  > written, that Faulkner supports the black man's action. A close reading
of
>  > this book shows that Faulkner is in fact making fun of pretty much
>  > everything the main character believes and is, starting with his
origins to
>  > his beliefs on property and his racial attitudes. Faulkner was torn, I
>  > believe, between his personal beliefs on race and the cultural
pressures of
>  > where he lived. He was torn between his conscience and the way he was
>  > raised, and this is most clearly shown in his fiction, and even in his
>  > nonfiction works.
>  
>  I don't think anyone would dispute this.

So far I have seen little evidence supporting this from the posts so far -
people seem to want to fall on either side of it.
>  
>   Was Faulkner racist? Undoubtedly. Was Faulkner opposed to
>  > racism? Undoubtedly was well. Did Faulkner use racism against itself in
his
>  > fiction, using its terms to show how ridiculous it was? This too seems
to be
>  > the case. To deny any of this is to deny the complexities found in all
good
>  > novels. 
>  
>  Troy, it would help here if you would quote or otherwise directly refer
to
>  someone who was denying that "complexities" are found in Faulkner's work.
>  
>    And Faulkner's novels are among the best. Are there failures in
>  > them? Of course. There has yet to be written the perfect novel.
>  > Ideologically, I am sure there will never be one (so long as there are
>  > differing opinions, someone will find fault with someones' ideology).
>  
>  In your view, what have been disagreeing about?

Whether Faulkner was racist or not. And whether he was anti-racist. Both are
true.

Troy Camplin
>  
>  
>  hh
>  .....................................................................
>  
>  
>  
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