A Comparative Study Of The Religious Outlooks Between Eliot And Faulkner

This dissertation paper is mainly (tevoted to the contrast and comparison of Eliot抯 and Faulkner抯 religious outlooks. Choosing the subject matter in this regard, the author aims at not only acquiring better understanding of the profound thoughts of these two Nobel Prize winners, but also gaining a deeper insight of western religious culture.Following the detailed presentation of rich profusion of biblical allusions in their works,the author points out that ,though both writers are to some extent similar in employing a great deal of biblical allusions in their works,they are sheerly different in their religious outlooks on Christianity at a deeper level With regard to Eliot,his biblical allusions are only the markers and indicators of his spiritual development, and directly used to serve the purpose of preaching his pure Christian thoughts especially iii his later poetic creation;standing in a sharp contrast to Eliot, all his lifetime of novel writing Faulkner adopts the biblical allusions or sonie conceptions and notions iii Christianity merely as a frame of reference, or uses them to serve as the background to reveal his moral exploration on his portrayed chracters, lash poignant criticism on American southern society or conduct retrospection on human kind aiid history~ Following that, the author of the thesis makes a deep analysis of their religious outlooks on Christianity, claiming that Eliot抯 is Godbased while Faulkner抯 is humanism-based in the end of this essay,through further elucidation the author arrives at his conclusion that ,tbough there exists a clear demarcation line in their religious outlooks on Christianity,they caii be unified at a higher plane. What they both desperately intend to seek in their works is a panacea for the corrupt western civilization, which can bring reason,order and harmony into a badly diseased world beyond cure.Therefore there exists the similarity in their thoughts in sharing a strong sense of social responsibility and an acute consciousness of historical missions.