Moral Dilemma In The Religious Perspective

William Cuthbert Faulkner (1897—1962), is one of the most influential American novelists in the1920s. As a prolific writer, his works cover a variety of written media, including novels, poems and screenplays. Among all these, he is primarily known for his fictions, which contain more than twenty novels and about a hundred short stories. This thesis focuses on one of Faulkner’s novels, Absalom, Absalom!, which is praised for its profound implications and exquisite composition. With Absalom, Absalom!, Faulkner reached the peak of his career. This thesis will interpret the novel in light of intertextuality. Through an examination of the novel’s profound theme, title, content, characterization, this thesis argues that Absalom, Absalom! has a strong character of religion and there exist complex intertextual relationships between Absalom, Absalom!, and The Holy Bible.This thesis starting from the creation background and then moving on to the close reading of the text, exploring the reason why Faulkner adopts intertextuality in a progressive way. Firstly, it will concentrate on the text and analyze the relationship between social realities of the South in Absalom, Absalom! and the mythic story in The Old Testament. This chapter points out that intertextuality exists between Sutpen’s story and that of David. That Sutpen building his plantation and grand mansion resemble David building his dynasty in The Old Testament. Moreover, their immoralities both trigger their family tragedy. In light of The Holy Bible, Sutpen symbolizes the South, where good and evil are both present. Through the intertextuality, the story of Sutpen is raised to the height of a myth and exposes the eternal moral dilemma. This thesis explores the weakness of human nature and the evils of the South through an investigation of the protagonist Sutpen and some minor characters, exposing the dangers of Puritanism and racism.Next, this thesis explores the form of the novel, analyzing the peculiar narration of Faulkner and its association with the Biblical narration. It dissertates the mythical mode and the narration strategy by analyzing the surface structure, the language. In the novel, characters tell, retell the story, sometimes controversially, reflecting the cultural psychology of the South from various perspectives. Faulkner constructed a deep narration structure by the technique of delay and non-centric strategy,as well as the ambiguity of language and the uncertainty of the truth. Faulkner conveys to the readers the various possibilities of the truth and the world, adding depth to his novel.Finally, this thesis analyzes the theme of the novel. This part bases itself on the text and explores the reason why Faulkner makes his novel interact with religious stories, including discussing the significance of intertextuality. Through the intertextuality, the story of Sutpen gains eternal value and significance. Faulkner’s attitude towards the American South is complex. Love and hate, as well as emotional identity and rational criticism, coexist in the novel. He describes the white women images represented by Judith, exploring a way out for the moral dilemma of the South. He argues that redemption can be achieved only through love and shouldering responsibilities for others and the society. Through the study of intertextuality,it can be found that religion influenced Faulkner’s view of good and evil. He not only makes his characters interact with the characters in The Old Testament, but also absorbs the tolerance and universal fraternity manifested in The New Testament. Intertextuality thus exist in the narration level as well as the spiritual one, and Faulkner’s ethical stance and philosophy of life are fully embodied in it. In a word, without the Holy Bible as a reference, a deep understanding of the novel seems an impossible task.Faulkner’s sense of tragedy and his pity are manifested in Absalom, Absalom! Through keen observations and rich allusions, he contemplates the social realities of the South and makes ethical discoveries. He both cherishes the traditions of the old South and reflects the evils existed in the Southern history and reality. Influenced by Puritanism, Faulkner endeavors to expose the inner conflict of good and evil and find solutions to the conflict. Applying the narration mode of the Bible, the complex narrative strategy which leads to the ambiguity of the story, Faulkner discusses the relationship between cause and effect in depth and exposes serious, typical and deep-seated social problems, such as poverty, violence, race and status. But Faulkner’s end is to uncover the fate of the human beings, not that of the southerners. Faulkner identifies the outstanding traditions of the South without avoiding its inherent problems and evils. The novel embarks from the Christian humanism, taking religious ethics as the reference, making religious material serve for humanity theme. But he always has faith in human nature and believes that human beings can grow good.