A Comparison of William Faulkner's Theme of Time and Augustinian View of Time

Foreign Literature Studies ›› 2017, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (5): 137-144.

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A Comparison of William Faulkner's Theme of Time and Augustinian View of Time

Wang Gang

Online:2017-10-25 Published:2022-06-15
About author:Wang Gang is associate professor at the School of Literature, Jilin Normal University (Siping 136000, China). His research areas are European and American literature. Email: wswg2006@126.com
Supported by:
“The Dimension of the Holy Bible: Cultural Poetics Interpretation of American Southern Literary Classics” (15 YJC752033), sponsored by Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of Ministry of Education

Abstract

Abstract: Close attention to time is an important element in William Faulkner's fictional narration. An examination of the theme of time and its artistic presentation in Faulkner's novels reveals some conjunctions with Augustinian view of time. Faulkner blends Augustinian objective view of time with his own psycho-realism techniques in the fiction and with the help of memory as a form of psychological ties, makes beneficial experiment of narrative strategy, such as time leap and so on. On the other hand, through digging the features of inner structural form of Augustinian view of time, exploring the changes of time dimension and having a thorough apprehension of inner spiritual time, Faulkner endows plots and characters in the fiction with spiritual and life attributes of time to convey unique historical concept fixed on the past of the American South, and to express strong salvation consciousness. In addition, we can see that Faulkner's understanding of the concept of eternal time is exactly the same as that of Augustine.

Key words: William Faulkner, fiction, theme of time, Saint Aurelius Augustine, view of time

Wang Gang. A Comparison of William Faulkner's Theme of Time and Augustinian View of Time[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2017, 39(5): 137-144.

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A Comparison of William Faulkner's Theme of Time and Augustinian View of Time

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