Uses of the Past in the Novels of Williams Faulkner

Originally selected by Faulkner scholars Blotner and Litz for their series on the author, this pathbreaking monograph contains a comprehensive and provocative discussion of Faulkner’s historical vision. Drawing on the rich literature of historiography (including the writings of R. G. Collingwood and Herbert Butterfield), and on a wide-ranging body of scholarship on the historical novel (including discussions of Scott, Thackeray, and Conrad), Rollyson shrewdly probes Faulkner’s dynamic and changing uses of the past. Also taking advantage of his own work as a biographer, Rollyson has updated, revised, and expanded his original book—extending his dialogue with recent Faulkner critics. Cover Page Title Page Contents Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Presentation of the Past and of Historical Process as Legend and Fact in Flags in the Dust and The Unvanquished 3. The Recreation and Reinterpretation of the Past in Absalom, Absalom. 4. The Past as the Product of Historiography in Absalom, Absalom! 5. The Dramatization of the Past and of Historical Process in Go Down, Moses 6. Historical Research and the Evolution of History in Go Down, Moses 7. The Relationship Between Historical Fact and Historical Fiction in the Yoknapatawpha Novels 8. Conclusion Bibliography Copyright Page