An Analysis Of Faulkner's Women Characters In His Fictions

Faulkner is one of the greatest writers of 20th century. Various women characters in his fictions reflect Southern social culture in late 19th and early 20th century. This thesis aims to analyze Faulkner's rich women characters from the perspectives of Freudian psychology and Southern traditional values.There are five chapters in my thesis, and importance is attached to the analysis of women with craziness, white ladies, black women and the relationships between women and men.First, the focus is placed upon the women characters with craziness, who are categorized into two kinds:women like Miss Zilphia and Miss Emily driven by their anxieties and complexes; characters like Elly, craziness is caused by death wish. The irreconcilable contradictions between the family influences of the Old Southern system and individual female psychology is the evil root leading to the miserable fate of crazy women.Secondly, under Southern traditional values on women, classes and races determine the existence of two opposites-white ladies and black women. And the marginal women like spinsters, virgins and mulattoes are considerably noticeable because of their awkward social positions. White ladies are seemingly gentle but masculine like Rosa, decent but rebellious like Drusilla and Judith, and stereotypical but bland like Ellen. Black women are always silent in Faulkner's fictions, however, black mammies maintain bright and positive images. Even though the difference between women's social positions exists, Faulkner arranges them with the same destiny-women in that society are just an object.The subtle relationships between white masters and black women and between white women and black men are unique on the Southern plantations. Women characters in Faulkner's fictions are in the sympathizing situation. Meanwhile, Faulkner criticizes the white supremacy and exposes the decline and deterioration of the Southern plantation.