Comparing Faulkners Light in August and James Portrait of a Lady Essa

Comparing William Faulkners begin in Augustand Henry mob Portrait of a Lady clean-living in August and Portrait of a Lady are two novels which embodies within them, life affirming morals. Authors like William Faulkner and Henry James possess the art of fashioning the reader learn by experiencing for themselves. William Faulkner uses the technique of introspection as well as by showing how characters and their actions can affect one another. Henry James also shows that a characters actions and decisions can greatly affect ones future and happiness. Both authors focus on the power of lyric that function only to categorize individuals into certain races or social classes. William Faulkner, in Light in August, centers his novel around the sensitive issues dealing with race, sex, social posture and personal history. Faulkner shows the reader that people who are placed in such categories receive certain expectations from companionship. The characters generally accept these categorie s as truth, and cannot escape from their expectations, both from society and from themselves. Characters are placed under labels. These labels dictate how the characters should or should not act. These labels determine the characters potential for good or evil. Race is the most declamatory label in Light in August. The race of the characters dictates how they are treated among others in society. A persons race is translated into an image. Characters affected by racism include Joe Christmas, Old Doc Hines. Joe Christmas was born an illegitimate child, from a white mother, and a father of unknown ethnic origin. From a child, he was called nigger by his peers, even before he knew the meaning of the w... ...ertain situations. The reader really sees that labels have the power to change people and to alter their priorities, if the individual accepts them as truth. Works CitedFaulkner, William. Light in August. 1932. New York Vintage, 1987.James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady. Ed. Ge offrey Moore and Patricia Crick. New York Penguin, 1986.Works ConsultedVolpe, Edmond L. Exploring Independence . Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Portrait of a Lady A Collection of unfavourable Essays. Ed. diaphysis Buitenhuis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall, 1968.Krook, Dorothea. Two Problems in The Portrait of a Lady. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Portrait of a Lady A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Peter Buitenhuis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall, 1968.Pitavy, Francois. Faulkners Light in August. Bloomington Indiana UP, 1973