Light In August by William Faulkner
During the 1920’s, a young woman named Lena Grove is pregnant and starts a journey to Jefferson, Mississippi in search of the father of her baby, Lucas Burch. Eventually, Lena learns that there is no one in town by the name of Burch, but there is someone named Byron Bunch that she thought could possibly be him instead. Bunch is a worker at a planning mill and starts to talk to Lena about a stranger in town named Joe Brown who has a scar on his face just like the one Lena had described to him. Lena knows that Joe Brown is the father of her baby so she settles into town to find him. Bunch, however falls in love with Lena instantly and vows to protect her through her search and pregnancy with or without Brown.
The story then goes through a flashback of a man named Joe Christmas who is another worker at the mill. Joe Christmas was dropped off at an orphanage on Christmas day as an infant. At age five, he witnessed the dietician; Mrs. Atkins, and the doctor having sex. Mrs. Atkins becomes convinced that he will tell on her so she plots to have him removed, tells him he is part black, and eventually sets him up with the strict Calvinist couple, the McEacherns. There, he gets beaten regularly and eventually has sex with a prostitute named Bobbie. He sells a cow for money, so he could buy a suit and go dancing with her at a dance when he gets caught by Mr. McEachern and decides to run away, never seeing his foster parents again. Sleeping with multiple women and trying to cope with his racial identity, he ends up in Jefferson and begins his work at the mill with Byron Bunch. He begins to live with a white woman with radical views on racial equality, Joanna Burden, and they begin to have an affair. Christmas quits his job at the mill to sell illegal whiskey and eventually takes Joe Brown as a business partner and invites him to live with him. When Joanna Burden tries to make him more religious, he begins to plot her death.
Reverend Gail Hightower's story is also revealed in flashback. Hightower came to Jefferson because his great-grandfather was murdered there. None approve of his sermons and after years of being ignored, his wife begins having affairs with other men in Memphis. One day, she's found dead, having jumped or been pushed out of a hotel window. Hightower is shocked and resigns from the church, becoming a town outcast.
One night, in the present, Joanna tries to shoot Christmas with a pistol, but he retaliates by murdering her with a razor and nearly decapitates her. Miss Burden's nephew offers a $1,000 reward for the capture of her murderer and Joe Brown comes forward and claims that Christmas is the killer. Christmas evades the police for days, but eventually they find him in Mottstown.
When Joe Christmas is arrested downtown, Mr. and Mrs. Hines, a strange couple, both have strange reactions to seeing him and follow him to his trial. When they arrive, Mrs. Hines tells Reverend Hightower that Joe Christmas is her grandson and that years ago her daughter Milly got knocked up by a carnival worker who claimed he was Mexican. Doc Hines, however, believed that the man was actually black. Enraged, Doc Hines murdered Milly's lover and let her die during childbirth. He dropped the baby off at a white orphanage, telling his wife that the baby was dead.
Meanwhile, Byron arranges for Joe Brown and Lena Grove to finally meet however Brown freaks out and jumps out of the cabin window. Byron runs after him and begins fighting but Joe Brown gets away and jumps on a passing train, leaving Jefferson. Christmas escapes from police custody and is hunted and eventually killed by a white man named Percy Grimm. Grimm shoots and castrates Christmas. Lena Grove and Byron Bunch travel together through Tennessee with Lena's baby, still in search of Joe Brown.
Character Analysis
Light
in August has
four important characters. These characters include, Joe Christmas, Lena Grove,
Byron Bunch, and Reverend Gail Hightower.
Joe
Christmas is the main protagonist throughout the novel. He is a mysterious angry
antihero who can’t seem to quite find his identity or a sense of self in the
world. After encountering and enduring many hardships as a kid and a young
adult, trying to fit in has not always been the easiest route and has been the
main cause for his poor behavior towards society. Unaware of his racial
background, he searches for a place where he can truly belong to and
furthermore, a place where he can find out exactly who he is and where he came
from. Christmas throughout the novel is a character that no matter what he does
always ends up in trouble. Some say that Joe Christmas has minor connections to
Jesus Christ, as they have the same initials. Christmas also was left at an
orphanage on Christmas day and died in his early thirties as Jesus did too.
However, Joe Christmas also serves as Jesus Christ’s opposite. He acts in very
selfishly which contributes to his troubled sinful ways as he brings violence
and death. His attempt to reclaim his lost identity is ruined by his anger for
the people who could provide him with the comfort that he desperately
needs.
Lena Grove is also compared to a biblical figure, this one being Mary. As
a lost, wandering, innocent young lady, she is on a journey with her unborn
child and eventually will travel with Byron Bunch (Joseph). Although she does
not give birth to her baby in a stable, she does however, give birth to her baby
in an old cabin. Grove Brings to Jefferson her baby and a determination within
her to find the baby’s father. Along the way, she does not let any of her
struggles or hardships get in the way of this determination that she has set.
She will do anything it takes to get what she wants for not only her but for her
child as well. In the novel, she enters Jefferson alone, gives birth to her baby
who brings hope and light to the town, and then continues on her way with her
baby and Bunch in search for her baby’s father once
more.
Byron Bunch is a good character who lives an honest life with good morals
and intentions as he tries not to engage with others around him. He directs the
choir at his rural church each Sunday and then continues his daily routine by
working at the mill every day. When Lena Grove arrives however, his daily
routine is offset as he begins to engage himself in her. The love that he begins
to have for her starts to dramatically change his view of life. Instead of being
an honorable man and keeping to himself, he converts to staying an honorable man
but engaging in society around him. Lena Grove has changed life for Bunch and he
is now determined to stand by Lena through anything. Although he still may have
more to learn about loving and being there for someone other than himself, he
has finally found his purpose in life which is what he had needed all along.
Reverend Gail Hightower is a character that shows that the past can never
be forgotten. Although his grandfather once died in Jefferson, his love and
obsession of his grandfather did not stop him from traveling and residing there
in Jefferson. Sadly, he also serves as a figure of no hope, for many, that there
can never be a fresh new start. To make matters worse, his wife’s horrible
behavior towards other men and eventually her suicide turn his life into
terrible despair as he also blames it on himself. Although the struggles that he
faces are almost unbearable he still overcomes them. His life and actions
through this tough situation show that he has even greater strength, wisdom, and
self awareness that he has never seemed to have or know before. As a survivor,
he is finally able to confront his painful past of not only his grandfather, but
his wife now as well.
in August has
four important characters. These characters include, Joe Christmas, Lena Grove,
Byron Bunch, and Reverend Gail Hightower.
Joe
Christmas is the main protagonist throughout the novel. He is a mysterious angry
antihero who can’t seem to quite find his identity or a sense of self in the
world. After encountering and enduring many hardships as a kid and a young
adult, trying to fit in has not always been the easiest route and has been the
main cause for his poor behavior towards society. Unaware of his racial
background, he searches for a place where he can truly belong to and
furthermore, a place where he can find out exactly who he is and where he came
from. Christmas throughout the novel is a character that no matter what he does
always ends up in trouble. Some say that Joe Christmas has minor connections to
Jesus Christ, as they have the same initials. Christmas also was left at an
orphanage on Christmas day and died in his early thirties as Jesus did too.
However, Joe Christmas also serves as Jesus Christ’s opposite. He acts in very
selfishly which contributes to his troubled sinful ways as he brings violence
and death. His attempt to reclaim his lost identity is ruined by his anger for
the people who could provide him with the comfort that he desperately
needs.
Lena Grove is also compared to a biblical figure, this one being Mary. As
a lost, wandering, innocent young lady, she is on a journey with her unborn
child and eventually will travel with Byron Bunch (Joseph). Although she does
not give birth to her baby in a stable, she does however, give birth to her baby
in an old cabin. Grove Brings to Jefferson her baby and a determination within
her to find the baby’s father. Along the way, she does not let any of her
struggles or hardships get in the way of this determination that she has set.
She will do anything it takes to get what she wants for not only her but for her
child as well. In the novel, she enters Jefferson alone, gives birth to her baby
who brings hope and light to the town, and then continues on her way with her
baby and Bunch in search for her baby’s father once
more.
Byron Bunch is a good character who lives an honest life with good morals
and intentions as he tries not to engage with others around him. He directs the
choir at his rural church each Sunday and then continues his daily routine by
working at the mill every day. When Lena Grove arrives however, his daily
routine is offset as he begins to engage himself in her. The love that he begins
to have for her starts to dramatically change his view of life. Instead of being
an honorable man and keeping to himself, he converts to staying an honorable man
but engaging in society around him. Lena Grove has changed life for Bunch and he
is now determined to stand by Lena through anything. Although he still may have
more to learn about loving and being there for someone other than himself, he
has finally found his purpose in life which is what he had needed all along.
Reverend Gail Hightower is a character that shows that the past can never
be forgotten. Although his grandfather once died in Jefferson, his love and
obsession of his grandfather did not stop him from traveling and residing there
in Jefferson. Sadly, he also serves as a figure of no hope, for many, that there
can never be a fresh new start. To make matters worse, his wife’s horrible
behavior towards other men and eventually her suicide turn his life into
terrible despair as he also blames it on himself. Although the struggles that he
faces are almost unbearable he still overcomes them. His life and actions
through this tough situation show that he has even greater strength, wisdom, and
self awareness that he has never seemed to have or know before. As a survivor,
he is finally able to confront his painful past of not only his grandfather, but
his wife now as well.
Setting
Light in August begins in the 1920’s in a small town Jefferson, Mississippi
during the Yoknapatawpha County.
William Faulkner uses this setting to show to the audience that slaves could
lead a free life. However, they still had to live under the “separate but equal”
lives apart from whites, resulting in racial tensions towards one another. This
setting also partook in a period where sale and manufacture of alcohol was
illegal in America. The small town and countryside is a land of racial prejudice
and stern religion. In this part of the country, the past lives on. For example,
the cabin in which Joe Christmas stays and in which Lena Grove gives birth is a
slave cabin dating back to before the Civil War. The town in Light
in Augusthas four main centers: the town, the mill, the Burden estate, and
Hightower's home.
Community within Jefferson are strong, outsiders such as Joe Brown, are really identifiable, and people, as much as they will deny it, gossip about their neighbors, family, and friends.
Faulkner modeled his fictional Yoknapatawpha County on Lafayette County, Mississippi, and
the city of Jefferson on his hometown Oxford, Missouri. He
describes his region's smells, sights, and sounds in loving detail. Its chirping
insects, its summer heat, and its unique light all contribute to the setting of
the novel. As a reader of Light in August, one could find that the farther the setting is pulled away from
Jefferson, so does Faulkners ideas and descriptions of that new setting.
during the Yoknapatawpha County.
William Faulkner uses this setting to show to the audience that slaves could
lead a free life. However, they still had to live under the “separate but equal”
lives apart from whites, resulting in racial tensions towards one another. This
setting also partook in a period where sale and manufacture of alcohol was
illegal in America. The small town and countryside is a land of racial prejudice
and stern religion. In this part of the country, the past lives on. For example,
the cabin in which Joe Christmas stays and in which Lena Grove gives birth is a
slave cabin dating back to before the Civil War. The town in Light
in Augusthas four main centers: the town, the mill, the Burden estate, and
Hightower's home.
Community within Jefferson are strong, outsiders such as Joe Brown, are really identifiable, and people, as much as they will deny it, gossip about their neighbors, family, and friends.
Faulkner modeled his fictional Yoknapatawpha County on Lafayette County, Mississippi, and
the city of Jefferson on his hometown Oxford, Missouri. He
describes his region's smells, sights, and sounds in loving detail. Its chirping
insects, its summer heat, and its unique light all contribute to the setting of
the novel. As a reader of Light in August, one could find that the farther the setting is pulled away from
Jefferson, so does Faulkners ideas and descriptions of that new setting.
Light in August contains three different types of conflicts. These conflicts are man vs. self, man vs.
society and man vs. man. In man vs. self, one of Joe Christmas’s main battles is
the battle between him and his own self. Throughout the novel, Christmas seems
to be always trying to figure out who he is and what he is made of. He seeks for
it selfishly, leading him to do bad things and remain on the search for his true
identity. Also Reverend Gail Hightower endures this conflict as he deals with
the memory of his past. Furthermore, there are conflicts between man and
society. Everyone in this novel without a doubt has this conflict. Byron Bunch
for not engaging with others, Lena Grove for dealing with her unborn baby and
trying to find her baby’s father alone, Reverend Gail Hightower for dealing with
the pressures of the society in general, and most of all Joe Christmas for
enduring abuse as a child and battling all the people around him who despise him
and all of the bad things that society brings. Lastly, man vs. man is seen
through Bunch and Brown when they physically fight for whether or not Brown
should see Grove or not.
In this novel, three major themes are presented. Those themes
include the burdens of the past, the struggle to find ones identity, and the
isolation of people. Reverend Hightowers trapped in the past, torn between his
loving memory of his grandfather, the heroic cavalryman killed while stealing
chickens, and his father the pacifist. His unresolved relationship with his
personal history compromises his effectiveness as a spiritual leader and as a
husband. The struggle to find ones identity is also another major theme in Light in August.For Joe Christmas, the lack of a stable and identifiable sense of self changes his life into something
not good. He questions his race, his background, and who he is as a person. He
tries to confide in this by embarking on journeys in search for wholeness and
self-completion. However, he can’t quite seem to figure this out if ever. Also,
the isolation of people is another major theme. Byron isolates himself from the
world, trying to remain his good morals, but soon comes to find that he can
still do that and still be engaged in many others lives. If it wasn’t for Lena
Grove, he would have possibly never of had this transformation in heart. He and
Lena are the only two characters that don’t hold loneliness by the end of the
novel as they have found each other.
Light in Darkness also holds three symbols that are very significant throughout the novel. These
symbols include the dead sheep, the smoke rising from the Burdens house, and the
street. The dead sheep foreshadows the two additional killings that come to
haunt Joe and ultimately seal his fate. The smoke rising from the Burdens house
represents not only bad times to come but marks the ending of the hard struggles
being faced by many. It serves as a cleansing, releasing the tragedy in
Jefferson and building the way for Lena’s life-bearing presence and the new
sense of commitment that it triggers in Byron. The street signifies a metaphor
for the ongoing search of acceptance that Lena and Christmas undertake in the
novel. Lena’s“street” shows her own personal journey which leads to a new hope and life,
while Joe’s “street” is his road of suffering, bitterness, and eventually death.
society and man vs. man. In man vs. self, one of Joe Christmas’s main battles is
the battle between him and his own self. Throughout the novel, Christmas seems
to be always trying to figure out who he is and what he is made of. He seeks for
it selfishly, leading him to do bad things and remain on the search for his true
identity. Also Reverend Gail Hightower endures this conflict as he deals with
the memory of his past. Furthermore, there are conflicts between man and
society. Everyone in this novel without a doubt has this conflict. Byron Bunch
for not engaging with others, Lena Grove for dealing with her unborn baby and
trying to find her baby’s father alone, Reverend Gail Hightower for dealing with
the pressures of the society in general, and most of all Joe Christmas for
enduring abuse as a child and battling all the people around him who despise him
and all of the bad things that society brings. Lastly, man vs. man is seen
through Bunch and Brown when they physically fight for whether or not Brown
should see Grove or not.
In this novel, three major themes are presented. Those themes
include the burdens of the past, the struggle to find ones identity, and the
isolation of people. Reverend Hightowers trapped in the past, torn between his
loving memory of his grandfather, the heroic cavalryman killed while stealing
chickens, and his father the pacifist. His unresolved relationship with his
personal history compromises his effectiveness as a spiritual leader and as a
husband. The struggle to find ones identity is also another major theme in Light in August.For Joe Christmas, the lack of a stable and identifiable sense of self changes his life into something
not good. He questions his race, his background, and who he is as a person. He
tries to confide in this by embarking on journeys in search for wholeness and
self-completion. However, he can’t quite seem to figure this out if ever. Also,
the isolation of people is another major theme. Byron isolates himself from the
world, trying to remain his good morals, but soon comes to find that he can
still do that and still be engaged in many others lives. If it wasn’t for Lena
Grove, he would have possibly never of had this transformation in heart. He and
Lena are the only two characters that don’t hold loneliness by the end of the
novel as they have found each other.
Light in Darkness also holds three symbols that are very significant throughout the novel. These
symbols include the dead sheep, the smoke rising from the Burdens house, and the
street. The dead sheep foreshadows the two additional killings that come to
haunt Joe and ultimately seal his fate. The smoke rising from the Burdens house
represents not only bad times to come but marks the ending of the hard struggles
being faced by many. It serves as a cleansing, releasing the tragedy in
Jefferson and building the way for Lena’s life-bearing presence and the new
sense of commitment that it triggers in Byron. The street signifies a metaphor
for the ongoing search of acceptance that Lena and Christmas undertake in the
novel. Lena’s“street” shows her own personal journey which leads to a new hope and life,
while Joe’s “street” is his road of suffering, bitterness, and eventually death.
"Faulkner's Light in August - Setting." 123HelpMe.com. 31 Mar 2013
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Faulkner, William. "Light in August Summary." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.
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Faulkner, William. "Light in August Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.