“WHEN WILL I BE BLOWN UP?” – WILLIAM FAULKNER’S WRITING WARFARE

Authors

  • Anca PEIU Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Bucharest, Romania. Contact address: anca.peiu@lls.unibuc.ro ancapeiu@gmail.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2017.1.10

Keywords:

mock-heroic, anti-hero, parody, irony, visionary poetic imagination, history as fact and/or fiction, warfare trauma and/or memory.

Abstract

When Will I Be Blown Up?” – William Faulkner’s Writing Warfare. The American Civil War (1861-1865) is not William Faulkner’s only warfare. The American modern writer remained faithful to his romantic creed that the poet’s mission is to render the innermost human (self)contradictions. Faulkner’s own writing style evinces this endless state of warfare at the back of his mind. It is like him to make us readers doubt our own peace delusions; yet it is like him also to doubt the solemn rhetoric of any “serious” historical warfare. The purpose of my essay is to prove that William Faulkner’s fiction evoking historical warfare can still help us readers out of our mortal fear. By means of his writing art, championing a sound sense of humor as the only hope for spiritual survival, Faulkner’s message is universal and still valid.

REZUMAT. Când voi fi aruncat în aer?” – Războiul scrierilor lui William Faulkner. Războiul Civil american (1861-1865) nu este nicidecum singurul război al lui William Faulkner. Scriitorul modern american a rămas credincios convingerii că misiunea poetului este de a reda cele mai adânci contradicții din sufletul omenesc. Însuși stilul literar al lui Faulkner stă mărturie acestei continue stări de asediu din profunzimea minții scriitorului. Este caracteristic pentru el să-și pună cititorii pe gânduri în legătură cu amăgitoarea lor stare de pace; și totuși, la fel de caracteristic pentru el este să pună sub semnul întrebării retorica solemnă a oricărui război istoric „serios.” Scopul eseului meu este de a demonstra că proza literară a lui William Faulkner, evocând diverse momente din războaiele istorice, ne poate încă ajuta pe noi, cititorii lui de azi, să ne învingem teama de moarte. Prin arta sa narativă, arborând un înviorător simț al umorului ca singura speranță de supraviețuire spirituală, mesajul lui Faulkner rămâne universal și valabil.

Cuvinte-cheie: pseudo-eroism, anti-erou, parodie, ironie, imaginație poetică vizionară, istoria ca fapt și/sau ficțiune, trauma și/sau memoria războiului.

Author Biography

Anca PEIU, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Bucharest, Romania. Contact address: anca.peiu@lls.unibuc.ro ancapeiu@gmail.com

Dr. Anca Peiu is Associate Professor at the English Department of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Bucharest, Romania. She has specialized in American Literature, but also taught: early American Civilization, modern and postmodern British Literature. Her most recent book is Five Versions of Selfhood in 19th Century American Literature, published by C. H. Beck Publishing House in 2013. Contact address: <ancapeiu@gmail.com>.

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Published

2017-03-24

How to Cite

PEIU, A. (2017). “WHEN WILL I BE BLOWN UP?” – WILLIAM FAULKNER’S WRITING WARFARE. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Philologia, 62(1), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2017.1.10

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Articles