William Faulkner, one of the most profound and complex American writers of the 20th century, was born William Cuthbert Falkner on September 25, 1897, in New Albany, Mississippi. His work, which explored the intricate layers of human experience and the complexities of the Southern United States, earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949. Faulkner’s career spanned multiple genres, including novels, short stories, screenplays, and plays, and his literary legacy continues to influence writers and readers alike.
Early Life and Influences
Born into a family with deep Southern roots, Faulkner was the eldest of four sons of Murry Falkner and Maud Butler. His father worked various jobs, including as a railroad administrator, a cotton seed processor, and a hardware salesman, before eventually becoming an administrator at the University of Mississippi. This move to Oxford, Mississippi, when Faulkner was a young boy, would prove pivotal in shaping his literary vision.
Faulkner’s early years were marked by a love of literature, inspired in part by his family’s rich storytelling tradition. His great-grandfather, William Clark Falkner, known as the “Old Colonel,” was a Confederate veteran, lawyer, politician, and author of the popular novel The White Rose of Memphis. This familial legacy of storytelling and Southern pride would deeply influence Faulkner’s own writing.
Faulkner’s education was inconsistent; he left high school before graduating and briefly attended the University of Mississippi as a special student without formally enrolling. Despite this lack of formal education, Faulkner was an avid reader, absorbing the works of Shakespeare, Conrad, Melville, Twain, and the emerging modernists like James Joyce and T.S. Eliot. These authors would leave a lasting imprint on his narrative style, characterized by complex structures, innovative prose, and a deep psychological insight into his characters.
The Influence of War and Early Writing
In 1918, Faulkner attempted to join the U.S. Army to fight in World War I but was rejected due to his height. Undeterred, he joined the British Royal Air Force (RAF) under a falsified identity, though the war ended before he saw combat. This brief military experience, however, had a lasting impact on Faulkner, shaping his themes of heroism, futility, and the lingering effects of trauma.
After returning to Mississippi, Faulkner spent some time in New Orleans, where he befriended the writer Sherwood Anderson. Anderson played a crucial role in Faulkner’s early career, encouraging him to write about the South and helping him find a publisher for his first novel, Soldiers’ Pay (1926). This novel, exploring the disillusionment of a World War I veteran, marked the beginning of Faulkner’s literary career, though it would be several more years before he achieved widespread recognition.
Faulkner’s early works, including Mosquitoes (1927) and Flags in the Dust (published posthumously in 1973), did not achieve commercial success, but they laid the groundwork for his later masterpieces. These early novels are notable for their exploration of the themes that would come to define Faulkner’s oeuvre: the decay of the South, the complexities of human relationships, and the burden of history.
The Creation of Yoknapatawpha County
Faulkner’s literary breakthrough came with the creation of Yoknapatawpha County, an imaginary region based on Lafayette County, Mississippi. This fictional setting became the backdrop for many of Faulkner’s most significant works and allowed him to explore the intricate social dynamics, racial tensions, and historical legacy of the American South.
Yoknapatawpha County first appeared in Sartoris (1929), a novel that reflects Faulkner’s fascination with his own family history and the broader cultural history of the South. This novel introduced readers to the Sartoris family, whose story would be elaborated in subsequent works.
However, it was The Sound and the Fury (1929) that established Faulkner as a major literary figure. This novel, told through the perspectives of multiple narrators, including the mentally disabled Benjy Compson, is a complex exploration of time, memory, and the decline of a Southern family. The novel’s innovative narrative structure and Faulkner’s experimental prose earned him critical acclaim, even if it did not initially translate into commercial success.
As I Lay Dying (1930) continued Faulkner’s exploration of narrative form, using multiple voices to tell the story of the Bundren family’s journey to bury their matriarch, Addie. This novel, like much of Faulkner’s work, is steeped in the atmosphere of the South, with its unique blend of humor, tragedy, and moral complexity.
Fame and the Nobel Prize
Throughout the 1930s, Faulkner produced a series of novels that solidified his reputation as one of America’s greatest writers. Light in August (1932) and Absalom, Absalom! (1936) are particularly notable for their deep psychological insight and their exploration of the themes of race, identity, and the weight of the past.
Light in August centers on the lives of three characters in Yoknapatawpha County, exploring the themes of race, identity, and redemption. The novel’s exploration of the intersections between personal and collective history would become a hallmark of Faulkner’s work.
Absalom, Absalom! is perhaps Faulkner’s most ambitious work, a complex and multilayered narrative that delves into the tragic history of Thomas Sutpen, a plantation owner whose ruthless ambition leads to his downfall. This novel, with its intricate narrative structure and its exploration of the legacy of slavery and the Civil War, is widely regarded as one of Faulkner’s masterpieces.
Despite his critical success, Faulkner struggled financially throughout much of his life. His novels did not sell well, and he was often forced to take on screenwriting jobs in Hollywood to make ends meet. Nevertheless, Faulkner continued to write, producing works that would later be recognized as some of the most important in American literature.
In 1949, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, an honor that finally brought him the international recognition he deserved. In his acceptance speech, Faulkner spoke of the writer’s duty to explore “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself,” a theme that runs through all of his work. Faulkner’s Nobel Prize marked a turning point in his career, bringing him greater financial stability and cementing his legacy as a literary giant.
Hollywood and Personal Struggles
While Faulkner is primarily known for his novels, he also had a significant, if somewhat tumultuous, career in Hollywood. He worked as a screenwriter for several major studios, including Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, and collaborated with directors like Howard Hawks on films such as The Big Sleep (1946) and To Have and Have Not (1944).
Despite his success in Hollywood, Faulkner was often frustrated by the limitations of the film industry and struggled with the demands of screenwriting. His work in Hollywood was also complicated by his personal struggles, including his ongoing battle with alcoholism and the pressures of supporting his family.
Faulkner’s personal life was marked by a series of tragedies and challenges. He married his childhood sweetheart, Estelle Oldham, in 1929, after she divorced her first husband. Their marriage was troubled, marked by infidelity, financial difficulties, and the loss of their first child, a daughter who was stillborn. Faulkner’s heavy drinking further strained the relationship, leading to periods of separation and reconciliation.
Despite these challenges, Faulkner continued to write prolifically, producing works that would secure his place in the literary canon. His later novels, including Go Down, Moses (1942) and Intruder in the Dust (1948), explore themes of race, history, and the Southern experience with the same depth and complexity as his earlier works.
Legacy and Final Years
In the 1950s, Faulkner’s reputation continued to grow, both in the United States and abroad. He received numerous honors, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for his novel A Fable (1954). This novel, which tells the story of a Christ-like figure in World War I, marked a departure from Faulkner’s usual Southern settings but retained his signature style and thematic concerns.
Faulkner’s final novel, The Reivers (1962), published shortly before his death, is a lighter, more humorous work, reflecting a different side of the author’s personality. This novel, which won Faulkner his second Pulitzer Prize, is a coming-of-age story set in the early 20th century South, and it offers a nostalgic look at a world that was rapidly disappearing.
William Faulkner passed away on July 6, 1962, at the age of 64, following a heart attack. He was buried in the St. Peter’s Cemetery in Oxford, Mississippi, near the home where he had spent much of his life. His death marked the end of an era, but his influence on American literature continues to be felt to this day.
Faulkner’s work has been the subject of extensive critical analysis and remains a cornerstone of American literature. His exploration of the human condition, his innovative narrative techniques, and his deep engagement with the history and culture of the South have secured his place as one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
Conclusion
William Faulkner’s legacy is one of profound literary achievement and enduring influence. His works, particularly those set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, offer a rich and complex portrait of the American South, exploring themes of race, history, identity, and morality with unparalleled depth and insight. Despite the challenges he faced in his personal life and his struggles for financial stability, Faulkner’s commitment to his craft never wavered, and his contributions to literature have left an indelible mark on the world.
As we continue to read and study Faulkner’s works, we are reminded of the power of literature to illuminate the human experience and to confront the most challenging and uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our society. Faulkner’s legacy is not just that of a great Southern writer, but of a literary giant whose work transcends time and place, speaking to the universal themes that define our existence.
