Comparison Of As I Lay Dying And Yoknapatawpha

William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying, and Yoknapatawpha

William Faulkner, one of America’s great modernist writers, born in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897 and died on July 6, 1962. He was the author of many novels and short stories… and was even awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. One of his most famous novels written was, As I Lay Dying. Faulkner spent most of his writing life in Mississippi and set all of his fiction there. Using his literary prowess, Faulkner ultimately created an entire world out of his various novels in which he named Yoknapatawpha.

His novels force us as readers to become more aware of the process of telling and seeing a story; Faulkner wants to make a point: if he provides four, or fifteen versions

He was also interested in portraying the decline of civilization and the dependence on the individual. Faulkner may be best known for his perspective: As I Lay Dying is narrated by fifteen different people, one of whom is dead when her section is presented, and does not always adhere to a chronological structure.

Furthermore, all of Faulkner’s fiction interlocks, creating a larger story; if we put his novels and stories together, we will get an historical and sociological study of one fictitious county in Mississippi, Yoknapatawpha. Some of the novels and stories focus on the aristocratic and upper classes, others on the military families, a few on the middle class, some on the poor, and a few more on the rural "white trash." The settings in time also span from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth

He invested a host of characteristic traits typically found in the South. These traits depicted the historical growth and subsequent decadence the South had at the time. Any and all human drama could almost be directly linked to some sort of historical drama which lasted almost 2 centuries long. All of his novels could be compared to materials used to construct buildings. In which on their own they are fairly simple, yet still maintain that air of sophistication. However, the sum of all Faulkner’s works…his novels as a whole form to create something much more complex. One of Faulkner’s best, if not greatest creations Yoknapatawpha.

I say this is one of his greatest accomplishments because, to be able to write your novels in such a way that you are not just telling that particular story, but setting up a scenario that will be different in another location, but effect other stories or show different perspectives…that is an amazing feat. I can only compare it to the comic book industry such as DC comics and their multi-verses which link various stories together in the same world, but different locations, perspectives, or styles. Actually, perhaps DC’s multi-verse concept was inspired by Faulkner’s fictitious creation of his