modernism 2016.ppt

Themes The Corruption of Southern Aristocratic Values Resurrection and Renewal Time is not a constant or objectively understandable entity; humans can interact with it in a variety of ways. Mr. Compson alcoholic Mrs. Compson hypochondriac忧郁症患者 Quentin Harvard student /neurosis Jason store worker /mean Benjy idiot Caddy symbol of affection Miss Quentin rebel Dilsey protector / “negro” The fall of the Compson family Resurrection and Renewal Three of the novel’s four sections take place on or around Easter, 1928 The festival is associated with Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection . A number of symbolic events in the novel could be likened to the death of Christ: Quentin’s death, Mr. Compson’s death, Caddy’s loss of virginity, or the decline of the Compson family in general. Though the Easter weekend is associated with death, it also brings the hope of renewal and resurrection. Though the Compson family has fallen, Dilsey represents a source of hope. Time is not a constant or objectively understandable entity: Benjy has no concept of time and cannot distinguish between past and present, which enables him to draw connections between the past and present. Quentin, in contrast, is trapped by time, unable and unwilling to move beyond his memories of the past. Jason has no use for the past. He focuses completely on the present and the immediate future. To Jason, time exists only for personal gain and cannot be wasted. Dilsey is perhaps the only character at peace with time. Unlike the Compsons, who try to escape time or manipulate it to their advantage, Dilsey understands that her life is a small sliver in the boundless range of time and history. Major techniques a pioneer in literary modernism Stream-of-consciousness Multiple point of view and a circular form cobweb蜘蛛网 rather than a linear structure ladder Authorial transcendence to avoid authorial intrusion Violation of chronology to stress the sense of contemporaneity of past, present, and future