Absalom Absalom Essay Research Paper AbsalomAbsalomThe South

Absalom, Absalom Essay, Research Paper

Absalom,Absalom

The South in the nineteenth century gave an image of wealth, prosperity, and class. This however was an image, not a way of life. The road to this kind of life was one of betrayal, determination, hatred, etc. The South wanted ownership, it wanted something that it could touch and feel, not something that it could experience. This way of life is best portrayed by William Faulkner in Absalom, Absalom. This kind of life is desired by many people at some level, to show that a person has achieved. People need to have something to demonstrate to the public that they have accomplished their ‘dream.’ In , Thomas Sutpen is just like any other human being with a dream. He wishes to achieve the greatest goal, wealth. His way of getting to his dream is filled with innocence, yet he kills the dreams of others along the way. Thomas Sutpen did not realize what he was doing to his own future by trying to construct his dynasty. Thomas Sutpen’s determination, betrayal , and innocence causes his final downfall. William Faulkner proves to the reader that our future is ultimately doomed as a society if we do not realize the mistakes we make; and in an attempt to fix them, mend the wounds we have created. These mistakes, both large and small, are what will ultimately foretell our future.

Where did Thomas Sutpen’s desire for wealth originate from? From the moment after he was forced to feel unwanted by those of his ‘kind.’ After that single moment in Sutpen’s entire life he decided that he could no longer be what other people looked down upon. From now on he would be the one to protect and save those who were less fortunate. “…he would take that boy in where he would never again need to stand on the outside of a white door and knock at it; and not at all for mere shelter but so that boy…could shut himself forever behind him on all that he had…(210Faulkner)” Thomas Sutpen did not want another person to be put through the same pain and humiliation that he was on that day. By protecting others he would be recreating the day when he was just a boy. The others that he saved would be replicas of himself at that age. Thomas Sutpen was rejected on the day that he arrived at the house by not only by the owners, but by society. He realized that he was not on a level with the others, as many of us do at a young age, he was lower than the slaves. Young Sutpen couldn’t stand this humiliation, and in order to remain sane, he created this dream. This was what kept Sutpen going, in good times and in bad. Sutpen has a long journey to his material successes and along the way had to only remember his childhood traumas to keep going. However, his determination to reach this hierarchy caused the loves and lives of the many others that surrounded him, to fail.

The first person that we are introduced to in this book, is Rosa. We can immediately conclude that with her appearance and tone, she did not have a very happy life. Her point in telling this story is to incriminate the already deceased Sutpen. Her ability to live on hatred alone is surprising, however, nothing is impossible. Rosa’s sister and love were taken away by Sutpen’s hopes and dreams. Rosa slowly begins to see and understand Sutpen’s plans, and when she realizes what it is he has done, Rosa has no one. Ellen, after marrying Sutpen, realizes that the marriage was never out of true love, or need for her love. This marriage was to based on offspring. Ellen could have run away, but she would have been penniless away from her family, so she stayed with Sutpen and lived the life of a rich Southern woman. When Ellen’s father asks Ellen if she loved Sutpen, she could only say her father’s name and look at him. Ellen truly believed that she loved Sutpen, and Mr. Coldfield could not protect his daughter from the doom she was about to encounter. Her innocence of Thomas Sutpen and his initiatives was pure. It wasn’t until after the birth of Judith that she realized how unhappy she really was, and how unhappy he could make her. But the South created such an establishment of marriage that she could do nothing but accept her tainted marriage. Henry and Charles are two very significant characters, although different, little do they realize that they have a very much in common, Sutpen. All Henry ever wanted was Charles’ love and Charles wanted the recognition from his father that he was, in fact, his son. However, Sutpen could not recognize Charles as a son, because this would bring him levels down on his own scale. This left Charles fatherless and confused. He wanted a life with this man, when he could not realize that Sutpen wanted to be as far from Charles and Eulalia, as he could be. This brings us to Henry. Henry wanted acceptance and love from Charles because he was wealthy, well educated, and was going to marry Judith. Henry wanted nothing more than to live through this man. Charles would have all the things that Henry wanted, but he could not live to do all these things. After Sutpen relays the information of Charles being part Negro and his son, Henry realizes that he must destroy Charles. He kills him, partially in his loyalty to his father, and partly for his love for Judith. Through this, Sutpen destroys his own dynasty. He has driven one son to madness, the other son to his death, and his only daughter now is a widower. Thomas Sutpen will have no dynasty. Through these years of betraya