Wednesday, March 25, 2015

All about Faulkner

   What a character! Researching about Faulkner, has not only gotten me excessively excited to read the Sound and The Fury, but also about reading his writing! I find his foundational setting, the imaginary Yoknapatawphato, to be absolutely intriguing! Faulkner writes about what he knows, the south, and so I truly look forward to reading this example of his work and try to analyze the characters and relate them as to how they were in relation to Faulkner. Also, the man one a stinking Nobel Prize, soooo that's another bonus! In my opinion, putting together the two pieces of how he wrote about what he knew and felt and that he in turn won an award so prestigious for it, creates this image of one kick-butt kind of guy! 

   Now, let's talk about his speech! How eloquent he is;well spoken and witty in the most humble of ways!  In his Nobel Prize acceptance he said: 
    "He must learn them again. He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed - love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice." 
   This text not only displays his incredible, genuine humility, but contains a profound wisdom, that lacks any superficial philosophical attempts. It's absolutely beautiful, and daunting, really. Unlike the stereo-type given to many artists, I don't read this and think, "Oh! What a tortured soul, that's why his writing is so good! He knows real pain...." No, none of that garbage, I merely relate to this as him being a being who is consciously aware. Aware of the people and world that surrounds him. People like Faulkner are vital to society. The courage to step up and write truth. We as a people need to read these views, and then hopefully, in turn, find the ability to see them for our selves! 

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