Multiple Vocalizations In The Sinful Temple

William Faulkner is renowned as one of the most outstanding novelists in American modern literature for his strenuous efforts creating novels and short stories of the world-famous Yoknapatawpha series. Unlike other works by Faulkner, Sanctuary gained sensational public success right after its publication in1931. It is considered to be his more controversial novel, given its theme of one vicious crime, rape. It distinctly depicts the sinful social condition in American South and the amoral spiritual world of people in the multi-layer society, its values lie in the profound exploitation of the inner conflicts of human’s spiritual world, and the presentation of social condition of the contemporary world, which serves as an powerful exemplification of Faulkner’s artistic masterfulness. This thesis intends to apply the theory of Bakhtin’s polyphonic novel to conduct a deep investigation into the characterization and theme of Faulkner’s Sanctuary, focusing on the dialogic features of novel’s structure and characterization, especially the double-voiced micro-dialogues of characters’ inner world; the unfinalization of main characters, thus to reveal the polyphonic characteristics of Sanctuary and the deep social significance and profound influence of the novel.Scholars engaged in Faulkner studies in China paced up with their counterparts from America an Europe during the1980s, and Faulknerian study in China thrived since the1990s. From that time, a great number of Faulknerites have made abundant studies from various perspectives, including the study of the texts, exploring the social background of Faulkner’s writing, comparative studies between Faulkner and Chinese writers, as well as the translation strategy. These fruitful achievements are hard to be overlooked. Sanctuary stepped late in Chinese Faulknerian study and thus received less attention. However, its artistic value and cultural significance should not be diminished and the critic arena is way to expand. This thesis is divided into five parts. The Introduction part makes a brief review of Faulkner’s life and work, his artistic achievement, the review of critical responses to Faulkner and Sanctuary, both overseas and domestic, and the purpose and significance of the study of this thesis; Chapter One deals with the features of Bakhtinian polyphonic novel, thus to form the theoretical base of the thesis; Chapter Two and Chapter Three makes a indepth demonstration of the polyphonic characteristics of Sanctuary, exploring the dialogic features of Sanctuary concerning the great-dialogue in the multi-layered class conflicts and the micro-dialogue within the struggle of each individual characters, together with the openness and unfinalizability of the theme in the novel. The Conclusion points out that, though Faulkner employs a traditional linear narrative strategy in Sanctuary, the whole story resembles much to a symphony, with different polyphonies, echoing the voices of pain, sorrow, murder, violence, betrayal, disillusionment and despair, depicting a panoramic view of the sinful American South during the1920s, it is a perfect manifestation of sinfulness during the conflicts between tradition and civilization, the moral decadence of common people in the America South. In Sanctuary, we can hear different vocalizations from various perspectives, even bearing conflicts and confrontations. There is no dominant voice or unified truth throughout the book, altogether giving the story the typical features of Bakhtin’s polyphonic novel. Thus the study form a deeper understanding of Faulkner’s aesthetic accomplishment transcending time and space, and his belief in "the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past" of man.