Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University
Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University Motionless as an Idol - Columbus State University
Bullock 4Iseek to establish my argument as an original contribution to a continuingscholarly conversation about Faulkner and his place within his society and thesignificance of his literary contributions. Many scholars have examined both Faulkner'suse of gender and his interest in art, but my approach combines the two in a way that hasnot previously been explored in Faulkner scholarship. Ialso analyze the effects ofModernism and Southern community, with its emphasis on religion, in Faulkner's work,seeking to understand and communicate a broader picture of his relevance andsignificance.However, any discussion of Faulkner's work without mention of its inherentSouthern context is incomplete. The specific conversation in which this projectparticipates concerns the Southern idealization and restriction of gender. Commenting onFaulkner's Southern heritage Diane Roberts says, "As a southerner, Faulkner inheritedthe images, icons, and demons of his culture. They are part of the matter of the regionwith which he engages, sometimes accepting, sometimes rejecting" (Roberts xi).Faulkner experienced the South's limited molding of masculinity in his own life andunderstood its casting of femininity through both his own perspectives on itand hisrelationships with women, and this project will address whether or not he chose to acceptor reject his society's perspective on women. Joe Williamson reminds us of the severityof gender politics within the South: "The relishing... of the idea of men as chivalrousknights and women as castellated ladies was not merely coincidental, nor was itfrivolous[...], [o]n the contrary it was immanent and deadly serious" (26). Faulkner intuits the"deadly" seriousness to which Williamson refers and places it firmly within each of the
Bullock 5texts presented here in specific instances related to women that Ido not believe aremerely hyperbolic.In analyzing the metaphors of art through which Faulkner's female characters areshown in their respective stories, there is value in looking at the perspectives Faulknerdeveloped concerning art. Randall Wilhelm says, "William Faulkner first published not apoem nor a piece of fiction, but a pen and ink drawing. In fact, Faulkner's initial impulsesin the arts were as much visual as literary [...]" (27). Faulkner made many drawings andillustrations, sometimes to accompany his own written work. Faulkner began to usevisual art in a novel way to inform his own written work:For unlike Gertrude Stein and Hemingway, who were primarily connoisseurs andcollectors, Faulkner's involvement with the arts was of an active nature - was theexpression of what was actually a multiple creativity. Almost as early as Faulknercould write stories and poems, he began to draw and sketch. (Lind 127)Faulkner's mother "continued to encourage him with his drawing and painting" (Blotner39) even at a very young age. Faulkner knew that his artistic abilities pleased his motherand would appeal to that throughout his life by sharing his work with her (Singal 59).Perhaps one reason Faulkner's artistry pleased his mother is because his maternalgrandmother, Lelia Butler, was also an artist and had won a scholarship in 1 890 to studysculpture in Rome but passed it up to care for her daughter (Blotner 12). Faulkner'sgrandmother was his first introduction to art; "Damuddy," as the boys called her, livedwith the family when Faulkner was young and is remembered spending "a good deal oftime at the easel" (Blotner 12). Faulkner's interest in art continued as he matured and he
- Page 2 and 3: Digitized by the Internet Archivein
- Page 4 and 5: Bullock 2TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCT
- Page 8 and 9: "Bullock 6wrote about the artists w
- Page 10 and 11: Bullock 8As I Lay Dying and The Sou
- Page 12 and 13: Bullock 10Another art metaphor Faul
- Page 15 and 16: Bullock 13essence, both necessary s
- Page 17 and 18: Bullock 15We had long thought of th
- Page 19 and 20: Bullock 17but no longer considered
- Page 21 and 22: Bullock 19Miss Emily as idol, thus
- Page 23 and 24: Bullock 21The art metaphor of Miss
- Page 25 and 26: Bullock 23Community and Religion in
- Page 27 and 28: Bullock 25Faulkner's response allow
- Page 29 and 30: Bullock 27setting. It is this preoc
- Page 31 and 32: Bullock 29male-dominated system whi
- Page 33 and 34: Bullock 31for Faulkner to communica
- Page 35 and 36: Bullock 33skewed sexuality and misp
- Page 37 and 38: Bullock 35from all walks of life, "
- Page 39 and 40: Bullock 37townspeople, readers can
- Page 41 and 42: Bullock 39one in which male dominan
- Page 43 and 44: The Eternal Feminine, Paul CezanneB
- Page 45 and 46: Bullock 43—. AsI Lav Dying . 1930
Bullock 5texts presented here in specific inst<strong>an</strong>ces related to women that Ido not believe aremerely hyperbolic.In <strong>an</strong>alyzing the metaphors of art through which Faulkner's female characters areshown in their respective stories, there is value in looking at the perspectives Faulknerdeveloped concerning art. R<strong>an</strong>dall Wilhelm says, "William Faulkner first published not apoem nor a piece of fiction, but a pen <strong>an</strong>d ink drawing. In fact, Faulkner's initial impulsesin the arts were <strong>as</strong> much visual <strong>as</strong> literary [...]" (27). Faulkner made m<strong>an</strong>y drawings <strong>an</strong>dillustrations, sometimes to accomp<strong>an</strong>y his own written work. Faulkner beg<strong>an</strong> to usevisual art in a novel way to inform his own written work:For unlike Gertrude Stein <strong>an</strong>d Hemingway, who were primarily connoisseurs <strong>an</strong>dcollectors, Faulkner's involvement with the arts w<strong>as</strong> of <strong>an</strong> active nature - w<strong>as</strong> theexpression of what w<strong>as</strong> actually a multiple creativity. Almost <strong>as</strong> early <strong>as</strong> Faulknercould write stories <strong>an</strong>d poems, he beg<strong>an</strong> to draw <strong>an</strong>d sketch. (Lind 127)Faulkner's mother "continued to encourage him with his drawing <strong>an</strong>d painting" (Blotner39) even at a very young age. Faulkner knew that his artistic abilities ple<strong>as</strong>ed his mother<strong>an</strong>d would appeal to that throughout his life by sharing his work with her (Singal 59).Perhaps one re<strong>as</strong>on Faulkner's artistry ple<strong>as</strong>ed his mother is because his maternalgr<strong>an</strong>dmother, Lelia Butler, w<strong>as</strong> also <strong>an</strong> artist <strong>an</strong>d had won a scholarship in 1 890 to studysculpture in Rome but p<strong>as</strong>sed it up to care for her daughter (Blotner 12). Faulkner'sgr<strong>an</strong>dmother w<strong>as</strong> his first introduction to art; "Damuddy," <strong>as</strong> the boys called her, livedwith the family when Faulkner w<strong>as</strong> young <strong>an</strong>d is remembered spending "a good deal oftime at the e<strong>as</strong>el" (Blotner 12). Faulkner's interest in art continued <strong>as</strong> he matured <strong>an</strong>d he
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