| Popis: |
This study examines four narrative techniques in William Faulkner’s fiction in order to accomplish two things: 1) see what applying contemporary narrative theory to Faulkner can tell us about his narratives; and 2) see how examining Faulkner’s narratives can cause us to revise or extend concepts in narrative theory. In other words, the study establishes a recursive relationship between Faulkner’s fiction and narrative theory, one in which each subject matter can illuminate the other. The four narrative techniques examined include shifts in focalization, shifts in voice, hypothetical narration, and representations of time. Each chapter examines background theory, gives examples of the technique, offers explication of the technique, and analyzes the technique’s effects. The first chapter takes “Barn Burning” as its main example and looks at how to identify shifts in focalization (vision), develops a model of layers of focalization, and investigates their effects. Chapter two focuses on As I Lay Dying and “Old Man” and examines narrative voice, works at defining voice, distinguishes conventional markers of narrative voice from voice features, and explores the effect of narrative voice. The first two chapters in combination work to define the boundary between vision and voice. The third chapter looks at hypothetical narration. Of the three epistemic modes of narration, it is the uncertain form, and Faulkner makes extensive and innovative use of it particularly in my main example here, Absalom, Absalom!. The fourth chapter returns to “Barn Burning” and Absalom, Absalom! and examines Faulkner’s portrayal of time. The effect of Faulkner’s techniques suggest a temporal understanding similar to that of Henri Bergson: time is non-linear, more experiential than scientific. The conclusion suggests how the four techniques taken together contribute to an understanding of Faulkner’s quite Platonic epistemology: perfect knowledge is ultimately unattainable, yet humanity continues to strive toward it. |
