An Exploration Of Women Characters And Female Consciousness In Faulkner's Novels

There is no denying that women characters play a pivotal role in Faulkner's novels. In his novels, Faulkner affords the readers a whole gallery of vivid portraits of the Southern women of all strata. In his novels, Faulkner foresees the Southern Patriarchy's inevitable fall, and he demonstrates a genuine sympathy for the women in the Yoknapatawpha County. In this dissertation, lengthy accounts will, firstly, be given to the detailed exploration to three types of women characters in Faulkner's novels from the perspective of Psychoanalytical criticism and Feminist criticism. First, Caddy in The Sound and the Fury, the reason that she is in the choice company lies in her special position in Faulkner's depiction of women characters. Being Faulkner's "heart's darling", Caddy is at the core of the novel, all the other characters serve to tell her story. What's more, she is also a flapper-type woman against her traditional female place in society, a sensitive, a beautiful girl, but given to bitchery from her early teens. Second, Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying. Like Caddy, Addie is also at the center of the entire novel, as all the other characters react to her life and her death. And she is a great Faulkner creation and a memorable one. Third, Temple Drake in Sanctuary, she is one of Faulkner's damned characters: those who must do evil. Evil holds a power over her that is too strong for her to fight, she commits grievous sins; in Calvinist tradition she is a sexual lure who keeps men from their salvation. The character Temple Drake can be interpreted as a femme fatale similar to those portrayed in the detective genre. Furthermore, this dissertation will center on the penetrating exploration of the Southern patriarchy and Southern Womanhood, which compel Southern Women into madness. In this part, virginity, firstly, is discussed in detail. In the South of America, there arose a current, just like all other male Chauvinism areas, for such a peculiar phenomenon: the lower the women's position is, the more elegant the women are, or, to be exact, the more precious their virginity is. In the male-centered world, women are the shadows of men, the subsidiaries of men. And men's control of women might be, undoubtedly, the control of women's virginity. Secondly, this thesis mainly lists some typical Southern "Virtuous Maidens", they are actually the "Shadow Characters". They are just like shadows: without noumenon, without identification and voiceless. Lastly, the dissertation will focus on the rebellious women in Faulkner's novels, the main figure turns to Drusilla in The Unvanquished, and in this part, by discussing Dilsey in The Sound and the Fury, the dissertation may argue that she is the hope of the "New Southern Woman"in Faulkner's eyes. In conclusion, Faulkner, as far as this dissertation is concerned, can be viewed as a standard-bearer, he waves flags and bangs the drums for Southern Women's rebellion against Southern male-centered patriarchy. So under these circumstances, the significance of the thesis lies in the reconsideration of Faulkner's depiction of women characters and more importantly, it is of great assistance to realize that Faulkner has made great dedication to adding bricks to the mansion of the feminist criticism.