Faulkner has a continuing concern with relationships of son and mother. The mothers seem to always stand in the central position of the family and have a big influence on the destiny of the whole family. In this paper, I will discuss the white southern mothers’ role in the society and the family using Faulkner’s two most representative works as examples, namely “The Sound and the Fury” and “As I Lay Dying”: On the one hand, they are the evil force that traumatizes their sons and leads to the degeneration of the whole family; On the other hand, they are also the victims of the patriarchal society. They are victims and victimizers.
In order to find the connection between the mothers’ bad influence and the dysfunction of their sons, I will also analyze the sons’ psychological response because the loss of the maternal love. These victims, mothers and sons, can help us take a look at the change and decline of the old South from social and psychological perspectives.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Women as Victims and Victimizers in Faulkner's Works
2.1 Social Construction of the Southern "Lady"
2.2 Mrs. Compson and the Failure of Maternal Love
2.3 Addie Bundren: A Challenge to Patriarchal Order
3. Psychological Consequences for the Sons
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the dual role of white southern mothers in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying, arguing that these women are simultaneously victims of a rigid patriarchal society and victimizers whose lack of maternal affection causes the psychological degeneration of their sons and the eventual collapse of the southern family structure.
- The intersection of patriarchal societal structures and the myth of the Southern "Lady."
- The psychological impact of maternal abandonment and the loss of love on male offspring.
- Comparative analysis of upper-class versus lower-class female rebellion in Faulkner's literature.
- The role of family dysfunction as an allegory for the decline of the American South.
Excerpt from the Book
Social Construction of the Southern "Lady"
No matter in what kind of societies, the social status of women can directly reflect its deep essence. In the old South, just like in any other patriarchal society, there was a very strange phenomenon: Women’s chastity and virginity are sanctified. Why? Because in this kind of society, women are just accessories of men and this “possession” shows first at women’s chastity.
At first, women are so lovely and because of their “chastity”. Secondly, a “pure” woman is supposed to live without any passion and sexual desire, like the “gleaming ice”. More importantly, what those men pledged to protect were not the women’ lives, not their right as human, but only their “virtue and chastity”. It’s quite clear that women’s value as symbol and tools that used to fortify the patriarchal structure of the South is way beyond their life and dignity. The South creates the “Ladies”, or we can use another term from popular culture, “confederate white women” for different social purposes: Women’s chastity can guarantee racial purity and their bodies provide white heirs, so the white supremacy can be maintained; White women in upper-class are mythologized. They stand at the center of the plantation myth and serve an ideological symbol of the wonderful and romantic “southern life-style”, so the “Yankees” would be ashamed of their mercenary industrial and commercial society.
Chapter Summary
Introduction: This chapter introduces Faulkner’s concern with the mother-son relationship and posits the thesis that white southern mothers act as both victims of patriarchy and destructive forces within their families.
Women as Victims and Victimizers in Faulkner's Works: This section explores how societal pressures create the "lady" archetype, analyzing the cold, duty-bound behavior of Mrs. Compson and the rebellious, yet doomed, search for self-identity in Addie Bundren.
Psychological Consequences for the Sons: This chapter examines the specific psychological responses of sons like Darl, Cash, and Vardaman to the absence of maternal love and their search for substitute objects.
Conclusion: The final section synthesizes the analysis, concluding that the trauma experienced by these characters serves as a broader allegory for the socio-psychological decline of the American South.
Keywords
William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Southern Gothic, Patriarchy, Maternal Love, Victimizers, Psychological Trauma, Dysfunction, Southern Identity, Mrs. Compson, Addie Bundren, Family Decay, Gender Roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the dualistic nature of white southern mothers in William Faulkner’s novels, portraying them as both victims of the patriarchal South and victimizers who contribute to their sons' psychological instability.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the social construction of gender in the South, the destruction of the family unit, the loss of maternal love, and the resulting psychological alienation of male characters.
What is the author's main research goal?
The goal is to establish a link between the societal repression of women and the subsequent dysfunction within the family, using Faulkner's works as an allegory for the decline of the old South.
Which methodology is applied in this analysis?
The analysis utilizes a combined sociological and psychological lens, examining both the external patriarchal structures and the internal mental states of the characters.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body focuses on the "lady-making" process in southern society, specific character studies of Mrs. Compson and Addie Bundren, and the psychological defense mechanisms adopted by the sons in the Bundren family.
Which keywords define the scope of this work?
Key terms include William Faulkner, patriarchy, maternal love, southern identity, psychological trauma, and family decay.
How does the author interpret Mrs. Compson's behavior toward her sons?
The author argues that Mrs. Compson’s coldness stems from her role as an idealized "lady" in a patriarchal structure, which forces her to view motherhood as a burden and her children as societal or personal failures.
Why is Addie Bundren's struggle described as a "rebel" act?
Addie is characterized as a rebel because she actively challenges the patriarchal definition of womanhood and attempts to assert her own existence, despite her ultimate failure and the tragic consequences for her children.
- Citar trabajo
- Zeqi Zhao (Autor), 2015, Victims and Victimizers. White Mothers in Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" and "As I lay Dying", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/350583
