On Idiots Of Faulkner’s Novel

Idiots who play an insignificant role are frequently seen in literary works. The simple and crude figures usually play the role of property on the theatrical stage, thus writers pay little attention to their inner world. However, idiots are not insignificant in Faulkner’s novels. In As I Lay Dying, there are 59 sections and 15 narrators. Each of the sections is a figure’s internal monologue and ten of the sections are narrated by Vardaman;The Hamlet is about the Snopes Family. As a member of this Family, Ike plays a significant role in the novel, and the dream words he says to the cow cover thirty pages. In Absalom,Absalom, although Jim Bond turns up in the end, his wailing is one of the most fantastic parts in the novel.Of course,Bangui is the one who is most concerned and researched. The Sound and the Fury consists of four parts, one of which is about Bangui. What’s more, as the first narrator in the novel, Bangui is deserved to be the most significant in the whole novel.Idiotic figures, which promote Faulkner’s novels to the height of classical tragedy, are the mostcharacteristic parts in Faulkner’s figure gallery. The writer endows the figures thrilling power and deeply explores their significance in his world of art. This topic deserves to be concerned and researched.This thesis takes idiots and the retarded in Faulkner’s novels as the research object. Idiots such as Bangui, Ike, Snopes and Jim Bond,and the retarded like Tommy and Vardaman are classified into idiotic figures and interpreted combined withthe fictional narrative method, Bible literature and metaphor. Moreover, this thesis tries to reveal the unique value of the idiotic figures in Faulkner’s kingdom which is as little as a stamp and deconstruct Faulkner’s thinking and interpretation of human beings’ destiny.This thesis is divided into three parts:introduction, main body and conclusion.And the main body contains four chapters.Introductionexposits the theme and purpose of the thesis by reviewing the thesis topic and the related researches. The main body contains four chapters. Chapter one elucidates the idiot narrative and the idiotic figures in the perspective of novel narration, and discusses the unique depiction of the idiotic figures in the aspect of novel writing skills. Chapter two explains the relationship between idiotic figures and Bible, the influence of the Christian literature to Faulkner and various techniques applied in moulding idiotic figures. Chapter three analyzes the metaphor of the idiotic figures in Faulkner’s novels, the writer’s satire to modern civilization and his thinking and consideration to life throughout the idiots’ reminiscence to the southern world. Chapter four focuses on Faulkner himself and explores the relation between Faulkner and the southern of America, Faulkner’s humanitarian thoughts, the integration of Faulkner and idiotic figures in spirit.The value of this thesis lies in exploring the concrete significance and value of the idiotic figures in Faulkner’s novels.No matter these figures are described by the writerinadvertently, or vividly depictedby Faulkner intentionally, they reflect the wise thinking of the writer to life and humanity.