Faulkner and the Bible

7/24/2019 Faulkner and the Bible

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FAULKNER AND THE BIBLE

In reply to interviewers' questions about is rea!in"# Faul$ner %requently &ites te l!

Testa(ent as one o% is %avorite boo$s) This is significant because many of his critics have

hinted at the biblical, the legalistic, elements in his work. In this chapter I would like to indicate

the uses Faulkner makes of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, for his imagery and, what

is much more important, for his themes.

Perhaps the simplest way of demonstrating Faulkners reliance upon and knowledge of the

Bible is to list some of the allusions encountered in his work!

New Testa(ent

"esus, mentioned in Mirrors of Chartres Street#p. $%, Soldiers' Pay#p. &'(%, The Sound and

the Fury #p. &''%, Light in August #throughout the novel%, Absalom, Absalom!

#p. '()%, Go Don, Moses#p. &*(%,e"uiem for a #un#p. '+&%, A Fable#throughout the novel%.

olgotha #-alvary%, the site of "esus crucifiion, mentioned in The $ild Palms#p. $+/%.

0a1areth, the birthplace of "esus, used as part of the title of one of the articles Faulkner

contributed to the#e %rleans Times&Piayune, 2Out of 0a1areth.2

l! Testa(ent

The Old Testament found by name in Go Don, Moses #p. &3'%. enesis, however, is

mentioned in both The $ild Palms#p. $&$% ande"uiem for a #un#p. /)%.

4ilit h, the mysterious woman before 5ve, named in The $ild Palms#p. ''6%,e"uiem for a#un #p. $+*%, and A Fable #p. '6&%. I can find one reference to 7dam and 5ve

in Santuary#p. ')'%.

Isaac supplies the name of the wise old man, Ike 8c-aslin, in (The )ear(and other stories of

Go Don, Moses#p. $3(%.

Ben9amin, the youngest son of "acob, mentioned throughout The Sound and the Furyand in

Go Don, Moses#p. &3'%.

8oses, the lawgiver, mentioned in the title story of Go Don, Moses.

The Ten -ommandments. 2Thou :halt 0ot ;ill2 is specifically used by avin :tevens in

*ntruder in the Dust#p. $**%.

-anaan, the land 2flowing with milk and honey,2 mentioned in Go Don, Moses#p. $3(%.

"ordan, mentioned by the 0egroes in The +nan"uished#p. ''6%.


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#'% Faul$ner is very (u& intereste! in te %i"ure o% *rist+ he has used -hrist more often

than other persons or incidents.

#$% The Old Testament, however, supplies a greater amount of material than does the 0ew

Testament.

#&% >eferences to the Bible range from citations of single lines to the use of symbolic peoplethroughout entire novels.

#/% Faulkner fre?uently uses biblical allusions to suggest that his characters and incidents are

not merely contemporary@they have traditional elements which, although undeveloped, give

them importance and timelessness not apparent at first sight. One eample will suffice here. In

2Out of 0a1areth2 Faulkner writes about a young man looking at a cathedral!

=atless, his young face brooded upon the spire of the -athedral, or perhaps it was something

in the sky he was watching. Beside him was a small packA leaning against his leg was a staff.

. . . 7nd one could imagine young


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on&e were)=e believes that he can contrast his father@son relationships to those of ancient

writers, that he can use parallels between the two to give us a sense of the differences between

past and present values.

Faul/ner uses the %ld Testament relationshi- of Absalom and Daid. In II :amuel, 7bsalom,

the son of


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Of course, Faulkner uses te *rist sy(bol inA Fable)In the novel the -orporal is e?uated

with -hrist, and he is forced to undergo the same eperiences, which include

temptation in the wilderness, the last supper, the crucifiion, and the resurrection. In A Fable

Faulkner cannot achieve the same tense, ambiguous effect with his symbolism which he had in

Light in August. =e is too concerned with tracing distinct similarities rather than ironic contrasts.

The -orporal is passive and almost noncommital in his mutinyA he is a shadowy figure who

observes rather than acts. =e is seen 2as in a glass darkly2 because Faulkner wants us to feel thatthe other characters have merely an inkling of the true worth of his humanity and divinity. hen

the -orporal does speak, we do not epect crudeness of speech@@indeed, we are alarmed to hear

his voice because we have become accustomed to seeing him from afar, as we did at the

beginning of the novel, as he stands in the truck which brings him to the prison. e ?uestion the

latest use of the -hrist symbol because we cannot suppose the -orporal to be both a soldier and a

pacifist. Our sensibilities are shaken. =ow can -hrist be a military manE =ow are we to believe

in the palpable reality of the -orporal if we are so conscious that he is -hristE In other words, are

we reading about -hrist or the -orporalE In Light in August we believed in the reality of

-hristmas and then in his symbolic value, feeling that more was suggested than was easily

apparent. The -orporal, however, remains a symbol which stands in the distance rather than

becoming an actual human being like -hristmas. In a sense we@@like Faulkner@@must view him asa dim Platonic recollection which we can learn to comprehend fully only in the future.

Faulkner uses the story of the 2sacrifice2 of Isaac by 7braham with subtlety. In the Old

Testament, 7braham, the first patriarch of the =ebrews, who had entered into a 2mutually

eclusive agreement with od, whereby he was to recogni1e and worship no other deity and od

was to protect and seek the welfare of 7braham and his family . . .,2 ' is

commanded one day by od to take his son, Isaac, to an altar and slay him. 7ctually this is to be

a test of Isaacs obedience to 7braham and, in turn, of 7brahams obedience

to the Father. The two prove their allegiance through the preparations for the ritual, and the son

does not have to die. =e and 7braham both learn that od is merciful and benevolent toward

those who love =im. The biblical ritual ends! 27nd 7braham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and

behold behind hima ram caught in a thicket by his horns! and 7braham went and took the ram,

and offered him for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.2 I have already described the nature

of the :am Fathers@@Isaac 8c-aslin relationship. It is ?uite evident that Faulkner chooses the

name Isaac to suggest religious associations in much the same way that -rane does with his

symbolism in The ed )adge of Courage. 2The Bear2 stresses the submission of the son # Isaac%

to the priest # :am@7braham% and of both the priest and the sacrificial victim to the wilderness.

The hunt for the bear, which is part of the wilderness, is dangerous because it involves conflict.

It is true that :am, as 7braham, prepares Isaac for the hunt, but it is :ams oenantwith Old

Ben, and with the trees in short, with the awe@inspiring wilderness about him@which

is at the heart of the story. Dnfortunately, Faulkner means to imply that the happy ending nolonger eists. =e reali1es that the blood relationship of :am Fathers and Isaac 8c-aslin cannot

last in our times. The death of the spiritual father is intertwined with the murder of Old Ben by

Boon =oggan@ beck. 8an and animal were one in the past. They were both representatives of the

old order in which humility could be sought by this entry into strife. Old Ben taught :am Fathers

to search for the wildness of nature and to tame it, in order to gain a clear understanding of the

potentialities of the human spirit. This is what Isaac was able to learn from his fatherA but he

alone lives on in 2The Bear2 to see the total ruin of the wilderness which was their temple. =e

witnesses the arrival of the lumber company machines. =e reali1es that modern men of

commerce are concerned not with the preparation for spiritual understanding but with material

gain.

The idea of a covenant in Faulkners work is, like his emphasis upon the father@son

relationship, related to the Old Testament. 7brahams agreement with the 4ord which

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I have 9ust mentioned was renewed, in turn, by Isaac and "acob@@=e became 2the ;insman of

Isaac2 and the 2-hampion of "acob2@@but the -ovenant between all the =ebrews and od came

into eistence during the period of 8oses.The eodus from 5gypt into the Promised 4and,

-anaan, with the giving of the Ten -ommandments on 8ount :inai, indicated that =e was now

on the side of the entire nation.The personal agreement developed, then, into a distinct social

reality@the =ebrews became the -hosen People. Faulkner believes that the :outh must accept the

significance of a mutual agreement or bond not only between particular 0egroes and white men,but between the region and destiny #the 0orth, the land, and the will of od%. The idea of the

covenant, both personal and social, is an important aspect of his work, giving much of it a

legalistic tone.

In The +nan"uishedFaulkner gives us a lengthy description of the two brothers, Buck and

Buddy 8c-aslin. They are uni?ue in the novel because of their ideas of social relationship. Both

of them believe that all people@slave, white trash, and plantation owner@belong to the land, that

there is an agreement between themselves and the earth which they farm. 4ike the =ebrew

patriarchs, they affirm this covenant to be a moral influence upon their subse?uent actions!

They believed that the earth would permit them to live on and out of it and use it only so longas they behaved and that if they did not behave right, it would shake them off 9ust like a dog

getting rid of fleas.

-onse?uently Buck and Buddy are able to respect the 0egro, permitting their slaves to earn

their freedom by working the land. Of course this kind of covenant opposes the design of men

like :artoris. Faulkner sympathi1es with the Dtopianism or, if you will, the communistic ideal, of

the brothers while reali1ing that it is doomed. 8ost :outherners during the -ivil ar and the

>econstruction are too intent upon self@centered capitalism to consider a new economic

relationship which threatens their wealth and security. In The +nan"uishedthe defeat of Buck

and Buddy is indicated not only by the glorification of :artoris design by people like osa 8illard, but by an incident in which only one of the brothers, Buddy, is permitted to

9oin the -onfederate 7rmy to help save the homeland. :artoris #and what he represents% re@

emerges, then, as the powerful force. Faulkner believes, nevertheless, in the inspirational

?ualities of these two brothers, who can father a -ovenant for the :outh, even though they

themselves are bachelors.

The covenant theme, with important variations, is repeated in 2The Bear.2 Part Four, Isaacs

rhetorical conversation with his cousin, stresses the idea that the entire outh,

not merely a Buck or Buddy, is bound to the landA the isolated covenant in The +nan"uishedis

epanded here until it assumes cosmic proportions. Isaac reali1es the nature of the agreement

#because of his ritual with :am@7braham% and provokes the anger of his cousin #a believer in thedesign%. Isaac believes that =e entered into a covenant with :outherners, teaching them the

necessity of reorientation after the ar, the need to abide by freedom for the slaves and for the

earth itself. =is countrymen did not heed the warnings, the -ommandments, and they are now

suffering the wrath of od. But the 0egroes, who have understood the goodness of the land and

the higher teachings of the Bible, can help them to lift this 2curse.2 Isaac 8c-aslin believes,

therefore, in the recognition of a universal -ovenant, a set of laws, to which all men, black and

white, must aspire in order to save their land, their country, and themselves. =is own strength is

evident when he says, 2I am free.2 8c-aslin 5dmonds, his cousin, senses that this is not pure

talk, that Isaac is truly a believer in the e?uality of men. =e says, -hosen, I suppose #I will

concede it% out of all your time by =im as you say Buck and Buddy were from theirs. 7nd it took

=im a bear and an old man and four years 9ust for you. 7nd it took you fourteen years to reachthat point and about that many,maybe more for Old Ben, and more than seventy for :am Fathers.

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7nd you are 9ust one. =ow long thenE =ow longE and he It will be long. I have never said

otherwise.

*n *ntruder in the Dustavin :tevens #who is translating the Old Testament into classic

reek% reali1es the importance of the covenant, but I think his conception differs from

those of Buck and Buddy and Isaac. avin :tevens believes that the :outh must see itself as a

homogeneous unit, apart from the diverse elements of the rest of the country. It mustsave itself in practical situations. 0egroes like 4ucas Beauchamp must be treated as e?uals, like

business partners or covenant holders. Faulkner suggests the nature of this kind of bond at the

end of the novel. For the services he has rendered, avin :tevens accepts the 0egros moneyA

4ucas asks for a receipt. 7ctually Faulkner is saying that such transactions should occur not only

in law offices but in buses, schools, and movie houses. 4ucas and the white man, working

together, present a united front against 2the spurious uproar2 of the second@best elements in both

the :outh and the 0orth@@indeed, the 0orth is often the enemy to be watched, an enemy intent

upon ?uick, superficial freedom for everyone and no one. -learly the social consciousness here

is akin to the strong feeling of the =ebrews as a chosen unit in the face of conflict and

oppression. But the -hosen in the :outh remain few.

The kinship of the =ebrews and 0egroes is apparent in Faulkners work. Both peoples have an

etreme devotion to the 4ord, believing they are tested daily and affirming

their ?ualities of endurance. 4ike the =ebrews in bondage in 5gypt or, later, in Babylonia, the

0egroes have their faith to uphold them in a land of infidels #which include ardent -alvinists like

8iss Burden%. It is, of course, significant that more biblical allusions to captivity occur in Go

Don, Moses, which deals mainly with the 0egroes, than in the other novels. The title story

presents this kinship of =ebrew and 0egro. 8olly Beauchamp, an aged 0egress, worries

constantly about her grandson who has left his homeland. :he does not know that he is a

criminal, a horrible product of black and white relations, that he is to be eecuted for murder. But

she does think of him as Ben9amin, a captive in a foreign land! 2:old him in 5gypt. I dont know

whar he is. I 9ust knows Pharoh got him. 7nd you the 4aw. I wants to find my boy.2 7s he does

in*ntruder in the Dust, avin :tevens, the lawyer, tries to help the 0egro! this time he collects@

and contributes@@money to bring the corpse of the 2slain wolf2 back to 8ississippi. =is action is

symbolic of the acknowledgment of the white mans debt to the 0egro. In The +nan"uishedwe

have the same kind of identification. iver "ordan.

One of the powerful sermons in literature is found in The Sound and the Fury.


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The use of the Bible, of the religious ceremony, then, helps to elevate these people who are

chosen and distinguishes them from a Popeye or a Temple


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wants to sleep with his stepdaughter and TempleE This is why he runs into the bathroom, after he

has heard the flappers story and looked again at the photograph, to vomit. It is his punishment.

Thus biblical themes influence Faulkner. I think, however, that he also uses the natural images

of the Bible@the flood, the animals, the flowers, to name a few. In 2The Old 8an2 section of The

$ild Palms, Faulkner describes a 8ississippi flood which engulfs much land and many

inhabitants. One of his most powerful pieces of writing, it shows the wildness of nature and theneed of man to control the natural forces. It is characteristic of Faulkner to think of the biblical

Flood as he looks at this present@day catastrophe, and through allusion to it he is able to make the

convict and the pregnant woman symbolic of =ebrews such as 0oah who were saved because of

their holiness. The convicts fight to help his companion #and later her child% becomes a universal

one. There is the same idea inAs * Lay Dying, when the Bundrens cross the river. 7s


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continually at battle with each other fleibility #good% and rigidity #evil%. Dnlike the =ebrews he

believes that rigidity fre?uently wins.

'=arry Orlinsky,Anient *srael# Ithaca, 0ew ork! -ornell Dniversity Press, '(6/%, p. $).

$:tanley -ook, An *ntrodution to the )ible # =armondsworth, 5ngland! Penguin Books,

'(6/%, p. )(.

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Faulkner and the Bible