Absalom, Absalom
Biblical Allusions in Literature
As we know it is indubitably apparent that in works of literature that nothing is arbitrary, everything is specifically selected to best convey the story to the reader. In William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom this point is undoubtedly present in the title of the book. A book title is part of the overall impression an author is creating about a book. It can set a tone and create an expectation. The title of a book should match the tone of the book and it attracts attention. At first glance one might wonder why Faulkner would give his book such a title, but by looking closely and examining the title it becomes explicitly clear how the title “Absalom, Absalom” directly correlates with the theme of the book.
The name Absalom is reference back to the bible. According to the bible Absalom was the third son of David, king of Israel. In the bible Absalom is describe to be a charming, beautiful, and loving young man who is a great favorite of his father and the people of the kingdom. It is stated in the bible that Absalom’s full sister Tamar was raped by Amnon, their half-brother and David's eldest son. Angered by the crime of his brother, Absalom eventually kill his brother Amnon and flees the kingdom, but later returned and rebelled against his father.
In Analyzing Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom one can clear see the correlation between Faulkner and Absalom’s story, However, more apparent is the similarities between Henry Sutpen and Absalom. Much like Absalom, Henry was the favorite of his father. We know this to be true because unlike his brother Charles bound, Thomas Sutpen actually claimed him. Also like Absalom, Henry is a kind-hearted man. We first notice Henry’s kind-hearted nature at the violent scene at the end of chapter 1. This view allows use to see that Henry did not take after his father’s harsh temperament and gives a glimpse of his pious nature. Notably, Absalom and Henry’s strongest commonality is notice in their
As we know it is indubitably apparent that in works of literature that nothing is arbitrary, everything is specifically selected to best convey the story to the reader. In William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom this point is undoubtedly present in the title of the book. A book title is part of the overall impression an author is creating about a book. It can set a tone and create an expectation. The title of a book should match the tone of the book and it attracts attention. At first glance one might wonder why Faulkner would give his book such a title, but by looking closely and examining the title it becomes explicitly clear how the title “Absalom, Absalom” directly correlates with the theme of the book.
The name Absalom is reference back to the bible. According to the bible Absalom was the third son of David, king of Israel. In the bible Absalom is describe to be a charming, beautiful, and loving young man who is a great favorite of his father and the people of the kingdom. It is stated in the bible that Absalom’s full sister Tamar was raped by Amnon, their half-brother and David's eldest son. Angered by the crime of his brother, Absalom eventually kill his brother Amnon and flees the kingdom, but later returned and rebelled against his father.
In Analyzing Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom one can clear see the correlation between Faulkner and Absalom’s story, However, more apparent is the similarities between Henry Sutpen and Absalom. Much like Absalom, Henry was the favorite of his father. We know this to be true because unlike his brother Charles bound, Thomas Sutpen actually claimed him. Also like Absalom, Henry is a kind-hearted man. We first notice Henry’s kind-hearted nature at the violent scene at the end of chapter 1. This view allows use to see that Henry did not take after his father’s harsh temperament and gives a glimpse of his pious nature. Notably, Absalom and Henry’s strongest commonality is notice in their