Journeys Of Searching For Identity

William Faulkner,one of the great American literary writers,portrayed American Southern society with his unique writing.Light in August is based on the background of Yoknapatawpha County to display the folks’ reflection on reality and pursuit of self in the American Southern society.Taking Edward Soja’s spatial theory as the framework,this thesis explores the journeys of three protagonists in searching for identity in Light in August from the perspective of Firstspace,Secondspace,and Thirdspace.According to Soja,the Firstspace with its physical properties,the Secondspace with its creative imagination,and the “open” Thirdspace that combines real and imaginary can provide a new vision to think and re-examine social relations and social problems.Thus,this thesis attempts to clarify that by describing the growth of the three protagonists.Light in August shows their identity anxiety in the “real” space,their efforts to find identity in the “imagined”space,and their realization of personal identity in the “open” space,which has expressed their persistent belief in identity.Except for the introduction and conclusion,this thesis consists of three chapters.The first chapter focuses on Joe Christmas,Lena Grove,and Gail Hightower’s awareness of identity in Firstspace,the physical space: Joe’s racial identity pressures in the orphanage,stepfamily,and Jefferson community;Lena’s gender identity pressures from the patriarchal family and community;and Gail’s minister identity pressures from the three “phantoms” and community.These pressures are also the source of identity anxiety for the three protagonists.The second chapter focuses on the struggle and rebellion of the three protagonists to cope with their identity anxiety through the“imagined” space.Joe,from his perspective,reconstructs his relationship with others,challenging the rules of the traditional black-and-white binary world in the imagined space of emancipation;Lena tries to create an imagined space of equality through geographical migration to escape the place of “home” controlled by her father and brother,in order to extricate the rules of the secular patriarchy and seek personal happiness;Gail,on the other hand,sticks to himself in a solitary and detached way,and holds on to his faith in God as an “abandoned” minister in a fictional independent space.The third chapter explores how the protagonists construct their identities in the “open”space through hybrid,mediation,and interaction.Joe,as a mulatto,confronts his black heritage and eventually completes his self-identity through death;Lena,as a female,begins a new journey and achieves self-identity in the process of pursuing a new life;Gail,as a marginal figure,breaks with his past self and awakens in his later years to become a minister who is recognized by others and himself.Faulkner’s literary world has been known for its focus on “people” themselves.Light in August embodies Faulkner’s unique perspective of focusing on the resilience of people themselves.By depicting the journeys of Joe,Lena,and Gail in pursuit of their identities,Faulkner portrays the resistance of marginalized characters in southern society to fate and reality,showing the powerful vitality of the underdog group and reflecting his own praise of and faith in humanity.