description Absalom, Absalom! Overview
William Faulkner’s *Absalom, Absalom!* explores the ambitious, ultimately tragic story of Thomas Sutpen’s attempt to build a Southern empire in Mississippi during the early 20th century. The novel investigates themes of race, family legacy, and illusion through multiple interwoven narratives. It is notable for its complex structure and profound meditations on memory and history. *Absalom, Absalom!* is primarily for readers interested in American literature, particularly those drawn to Southern settings and explorations of the human condition.
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Absalom, Absalom! ranks #29 of 337 in the Novel ranking, behind Mirror Dance, ahead of Infinite Jest.
help Absalom, Absalom! FAQ
Who is telling the story in Absalom, Absalom!?
The story is reconstructed by several narrators, especially Rosa Coldfield, Mr. Compson, Quentin Compson, and Shreve McCannon. Their versions conflict, forcing readers to distinguish documented events from prejudice, speculation, and inherited legend.
What is Thomas Sutpen trying to accomplish?
Sutpen arrives in Mississippi and builds the plantation known as Sutpen's Hundred as part of his plan to establish a dynasty. His rejection of Charles Bon and manipulation of his children turn that design into a family catastrophe.
How is Absalom, Absalom! connected to The Sound and the Fury?
Quentin Compson appears in both novels, and both are set within Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County. Absalom, Absalom!, published in 1936, expands Quentin's obsession with Southern history before the events associated with him in The Sound and the Fury.
Why does the novel use the biblical name Absalom?
The title invokes the story of King David and his son Absalom, a family history marked by rebellion, violence, and grief. Faulkner uses that echo to frame Sutpen's failed dynasty rather than retelling the biblical plot directly.
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