William Faulkner - Light in August

13 April 1957
Faulkner at Virginia (faulkner.lib.v...)
Unidentified participant: Mr. Faulkner-
William Faulkner: Yes, sir.
Unidentified participant: Sir, in Light in August, the central character Joe Christmas had most of his troubles and his persecutions and in his search to find himself was based on his belief that he was part Negro, and yet it's never made really clear that he is. Was he supposed to be part Negro, or was this supposed to add to the tragic irony of the story?
William Faulkner: I think that was his tragedy. He didn't know what he was, and so he was nothing. He-he deliberately evicted himself from the human race because he didn't know which he was. That was his tragedy. That to me was the-the tragic, central idea of the story, that he didn't know what he was, and there was no way possible in life for him to find out, which to me is the most tragic condition a man could find himself in, not to know what he is and to know that he will never know.

[@evelynmayton470]

The great William Faulkner, speaking of his character, Joe Christmas in Faulkner's amazing book, The Light in August. Thank you for posting.

[@vitoriaftss]

❤

[@samuelmitchell8017]

The opposite of jesus