Faulkner’s Multi-dimensionalcritical Perspectives Reflected In The Delineation Of His Female African American Characters

William Faulkner（1897-1962）is one of the most distinguished American writersof the20th century, and an important representative of Southern American Literature.Among of his works of his very productive career, the fictional Yoknapatawpha seriesis considered his highest artistic achievement. With deep feeling and understandingfor his native South, Faulkner exposes a Southern spiritual crisis in the face ofhistorical change. He criticizes the indifference, estrangement, and ugliness heobserved in people.The African American experience is one of Faulkner’s major themes. Settingmost of his works in the Deep South, Faulkner depicts many African Americanwomen living there. In the20th century, female African Americans were exploitedboth economically and sexually. They existed at the bottom of white governedSouthern society. This thesis, by combining close textual analysis with contextualreading, aims to probe into Faulkner’s multi-dimensional critical thoughts on issuessuch as slavery, racism, and religious oppression through close scrutiny of femaleAfrican American characters in his works. The thesis also discusses the limitations inFaulkner’s treatment of African American women both in his real life and literaryworks. At the same time, the social and historical origins of Faulkner’s limitations arealso explored.This thesis contains five main parts, including the introduction and conclusion.The opening section introduces Faulkner, and then completes a general review on theprevious studies of Faulkner’s literary treatment of African Americans.In Chapter One, the survey of female African American characters starts withcontented Elnora in Flags in the Dust, which marks the beginning of Faulkner’sapprenticeship as an artist. The section continues on to the works of Faulkner’s“major years”：despairing and helpless Nancy in “That Evening Sun”, selfless andtolerant Dilsey in The Sound and the Fury, loyalty and industrious Clytie in Absalom,Absalom!, concluding with persistent and intelligent Molly in Go Down, Moses,which is a novel generally viewed as “the beginning of the end” of Faulkner’s writing career. The survey spans from short story to novel, with depictions of AfricanAmerican characters from mammies to mulatto servants. Analysis of these femaleAfrican American characters provides a special angle for examination of Faulkner’sperspectives, and reflects Faulkner’s humanistic viewpoint and deep concern forAfrican American women.Chapter Two focuses on Faulkner’s multi-dimensional critical views on Southernsociety as reflected in his delineation of female African Americans. As a Southernwriter, Faulkner has clearly perceived the economic and sexual exploitation ofAfrican American women. His artistic presentation of their lives includes exposingthe denial of African Americans’ humanity, sexual exploitation by whites, their owndivided self-perception, and the revelation of evils in the religious rational forenslavement. All of these issues, along with his appreciation for the positive attitudesof female African Americans, serve as an expression of his critical views on slavery,racial discrimination, and religious oppression.Chapter Three conducts a cross-examination of Faulkner’s limitations in both theliterary world and in his real life in his treatment of African American women. As acomplex combination of historical, economic, and social forces, Faulkner is incapableof being completely free from the social and cultural traditions of the South. Hisbackground as a member of a traditional Southern aristocratic family and the culturaltraditions of the South are the social and historical origins for Faulkner’s limitationsin regard to racial issues.The final section concludes that by analyzing the female African Americancharacters in Faulkner’s works, this thesis explores the author’s multi-dimensionalcritical perspectives on Southern society. This thesis, informed by textual andcontextual reading, studies Faulkner’s artistic representations, taking intoconsideration the author’s background. The limitations in Faulkner’s treatment ofAfrican Americans and its social and historical origins are presented. This thesisdevelops a new line of inquiry for Faulkner study. Faulkner’s life-long concern forAfrican Americans, his artistic representations of their lives, and his appreciation oftheir humanity have great significance and far-reaching influence. As a representative of Southern Renaissance Literature, Faulkner takes his social responsibility seriously.He displays a humanistic viewpoint in his criticism of Southern society. Though thereexists some limitations to his critical thoughts, Faulkner transcends period and region.The Yoknapatawpha series provide readers a great setting to “love and honor and pityand pride and compassion and sacrifice”.