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Study Guide
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Light in August Study Guide." Course Hero. 7 Apr. 2018. Web. 3 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Light-in-August/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2018, April 7). Light in August Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Light-in-August/
In text
(Course Hero, 2018)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Light in August Study Guide." April 7, 2018. Accessed June 3, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Light-in-August/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Light in August Study Guide," April 7, 2018, accessed June 3, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Light-in-August/.
William Faulkner
1932
Novel
Tragedy
Light in August is told by an omniscient third-person narrator who conveys the thoughts and feelings of characters across time. However, many characters relate first-person stories through dialogue, which aides in their characterization.
Light in August is told in a mix of present and past tense.
Faulkner spoke at the University of Virginia where he said that the title Light in August is about the special "luminosity" in August in Mississippi. "In August in Mississippi," he said, "there's a few days somewhere about the middle of the month when suddenly there's a foretaste of fall, it's cool, there's a lambence, a luminous quality to the light." It reminded him, he said, "of that time, of a luminosity older than our Christian civilization." Light and darkness become contrasting motifs in the novel.
This study guide and infographic for William Faulkner's Light in August offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
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