CC BY
15
https://doi.org/10.29013/EJLL-23-1-16-19
Umrzakov Islomjon Isroilovich, Namangan State University Doctoral student (PhD)
A SPECIAL INTERPRETATION OF SOUTH-NORTH RELATIONS IN THE WORKS OF WILLIAM FAULKNER
Abstract. William Faulkner's work was also influenced by the S outhern Renaissance in the themes of his works, but unlike the southern writers of this period, William Faulkner broke the southern literary "laws" that northerners should be depicted only as "naughty Yankees".
Keywords: historical novel, New South, plot lines, episode, Southerners, idealization, fiction, play drama, Southern traditions and customs, Southern Renaissance.
In order to study the literary activity of each explain in detail all the living, vital, psychological
writer, analyze his works, fully understand and evaluate the essence of the work, first of all, it is necessary to study the era, country, society in which the writer lived. Moreover, the writer describes the problems of the society in which he lives, the issues that concern him, the people around him and their world.
Almost all of Faulkner's novels and stories, with the exception of one or two, are devoted to the social, political and economic conditions of the American South, the way of life, the feelings and experiences of southerners, happy and unhappy days, especially crisis of Southern Society.
Along with other writers of that era, William Faulkner also created a work on a historical theme. In 1938, his novel "The Unvanquished" was published. Nearly all of Faulkner's writings reflect the events of the Civil War or the Restoration period, but this topic is central in "The Unvanquished". The novel is based on short stories such as "Ambuscade", "Retreat", "Raid", "The Unvanquished", "Vendée", "Drusilla" and "An Odor ofVerbena".
When it comes to the facts, the conclusions drawn from the facts, the vivid details of the origin of the facts, a generous story is extremely stingy. History notes as a fact that the North defeated the South in the United States Civil War. But it does not
aspects of it. However, this fact alone can serve as a knot for the creation of a great work by a highly talented writer with strong powers of observation and imagination.
Like other southern writers, Faulkner based his novel on the history of a family that lived during the Civil War. Although he, like his contemporaries, turned to the historical theme, the novel "The Unvanquished" was ideologically very different from the works of Caroline Gordon and Stark Young. According to I.B. Arkhangelskaya, unlike other «southern» novels, "The Unvanquished" does not depict happy and peaceful pre-war days. There are no images of war between the South and the North. True, the novel expresses the robberies committed by the army of northerners behind the front. However, as in other historical works, not all Southerners are portrayed as brave and noble in "The Unvanquished". The terrible sides of the «New South» are also shown by the writer. This is mainly because, the fact that old Mrs. Millard was killed by «new southerners» — Ab Snopes and Grumby is a vivid example of this.
Motives such as violence, cruelty, and revenge are Faulkner's unique style of creating works, and the plot of the novel "The Unvanquished" is made up of these issues.
Although plot lines such as murder and revenge occupy a large place in the novel, the main point of view of the author was not the events themselves, but human psychology, the reaction of some southerners to these events. In particular, the inner experiences of the hero, Bayard Sartoris, form the basis of the dramatism of the entire work. Bayard Sartoris, like the main characters of the works of southern writers of that time, was brought up on the basis of the «old southern» customs and traditions.In the work, we can see episodes that describe the positive qualities of people's characters. For example, Miss Rosa, the grandmother of Bayard Sartoris, is embodied as a pious woman, so this is a sign that the young Bayard had a special place in his upbringing: ...She got out of the chair, holding to us. We didn't know what she was trying to do. We just stood there while she held to us and to the chair and let herself down to her knees beside it. It was Ringo that knelt first. Then I knelt too while she asked the Lord to forgive her for telling the lie. Then she rose; we didn't have time to help her. "Go to the kitchen and get a pan of water and the soap," she said. "Get the new soap." [1, 34-35]
In this passage, there is an episode about a woman who lied and said that her grandson, who fired a rifle against the northerners, was not at home, and then begged God for forgiveness for her lies.
Another example: "Granny got out slow and turned to Ringo. 'Get out,' she said; then she looked at me. 'You too,' she said. 'Becauseyou said nothing at all,' We got out of the wagon. She looked at us. 'We have lied,' she said.
'Hit was the paper that lied; hit wasn't us,' Ringo said.
'The paper said a hundred and ten. We have a hundred and twenty-two,' Granny said, 'Kneel down.'
'But they stole them 'fore we did,' Ringo said.
'But we lied,' Granny said. 'Kneel down.' She knelt first. Then we all three knelt by the road while she prayed. The washing blew soft and peaceful and bright on the clothesline. And then Louvinia saw us; she was already running across the pasture while Granny was praying". [2, 82]
In this passage, the writer describes that not lying to invaders is a sign of culture and piety characteristic of the southerners.
Another example: Then Granny went upstairs and when she came back down she had on her Sunday black silk and her hat, and there was color in her face now and her eyes were bright.
"Is we gonter leave tonight?" Ringo said. "I thought we wasn't going to start until in the morning."
"We're not," Granny said. "But it's been three years now since I have started anywhere; I reckon the Lord will forgive me for getting ready one day ahead of time." [1, 37]
As is obvious from the above examples, the writer described the southerners as people who follow their customs and traditions. Young Bayard Sartoris was brought up in such a family.
As can be seen from the title of the novel, in « The Unvanquished « the writer is to some extent on the side of the southerners and does not take the path of impartiality in the interpretation of historical events. Bias is also observed in the interpretation of some traditions of southern society. For instance, the relationship between whites and Negro slaves. The novel seems to have established friendly relations between white and black people: "But now it was that urgent even Ringo was a nigger too, because Ringo and I had been born in the same month and had both fed as the same breast and had slept together and eaten together for so long that Ringo called Granny "Granny" just like I did, until maybe he wasn't a nigger anymore or maybe I wasn't white boy anymore, that two of us neither, not even people any longer..." [1, 7].
Elsewhere, the writer emphasizes the kindness of whites to black people through the conversation between Mrs.Rose Millard and a black woman with a child: "I'llget out here," she said. Granny stopped the wagon and she got out. There was nothing at all but the thick gum and cypress and thick underbrush still full of shadow.
"You go back home, girl," Granny said. She just stood there. "Hand me the basket," Granny said. I handed it
to her and she opened it and gave the woman a piece of bread and meat." [1, 85]
As you can see, in Faulkner there are cases of idealization of the period before the Civil War, emphasis on the fact that whites and blacks lived in mutual alliance, of course, this situation is not characteristic of all his works. However, in "The Unvanquished" it is clearly visible.
However, it should be noted that, unlike contemporary writers, Faulkner had a different view of the new era that arose as a result of the conquest of the South by the North. In many of his works, he describes the need to look at events from an objective point of view, that the changes taking place in society are inevitable and there is no turning back, and that the old traditions are becoming ugly in front of the new views of the new generation.
The images of Dick, a Yankee colonel from the north, and Rosa Millard, an aristocrat from the south, reflect the writer's humanistic ideas. This is mainly because, despite belonging to mutually hostile parties, these two people knew how to love people and listen to their hearts. With these characters, they differed from the images of southern writers of that time. These qualities are clearly expressed in their conversations: Now he was about to go too, we could tell it even beneath the skirt; this time it was Granny herself:
"There is little of refreshment I can offer you, sir. But if a glass of cool milk after your ride — "
Only for a long time he didn't answer at all; Lou-vinia said how he just looked at Granny with his hard bright eyes and that hard bright silence full of laughing.
"No, no," he said. "I thank you. You are taxing yourself beyond mere politeness and into sheer bravado."
"Louvinia," Granny said, "conduct the gentleman to the diningroom and serve him with what we have." [1, 33]
By depicting a northern officer as a noble knight lending a helping hand to aristocratic Southern women, Faulkner undermines the southern literary "law" that northerners should only be portrayed as
"naughty Yankees":[3, 99] They carried her into the tent and put her in a chair. She hadn't moved, she was sitting there with her eyes closed and a strand of wet hair sticking to her face when Colonel Dick came in. I had never seen him before, only his voice while Ringo and I were squatting under Granny's skirt and holding our breath, but I knew him at once with his bright beard and his hard bright eyes stooping over Granny and saying, "Damn this war. Damn it. Damn it."
"They took the silver and the darkies and the mules," Granny said. "I have come to get them."
According to I.B. Arkhangelskaya, Rosa Millard does not fit the image of a traditional "southern lady".
In our opinion, Faulkner shows that the traditional society is doomed in the novel "The Unvanquished". It can be clearly observed in the actions of the heroes of the book. For example, at the beginning of the narrative, Mrs. Millard was afraid to lie and use offensive words, but later she changed: Grarmy looked at us. Then she came and put her hand on me and then on Ringo. "Go upstairs" she said.
"How did you and Joby manage to get those horses?" Father said.
Grarmy was looking at us. "I borrowed them," she said. "— upstairs and take off your -"
"Who from?" Father said.
Grarmy looked at Father for a second, then back at us. "I dont know. There was nobody there. — take off your Sunday clothes," she said [1, 71].
The achievement of the work is that any fact, any event described by Faulkner is selected from the period itself, «invented» and «fictional» events are not separated from the incidents that actually happened in history.
It is possible to cite many facts showing that the same theme has been frequently repeated by different writers in the literature. Many literary works can be created on the same theme. A clear example of this is the books dedicated to the Civil War in the history of the United States of America. However, the writer should be able to say something new on a repeated topic. Otherwise, the author's work will
be devoid of novelty. In our opinion, Faulkner was able to say something new in this work about the Civil War, unlike his contemporaries.
Although the work is rich in plots the writer is more interested in human psychology than the actual events. It is the inner experiences of the protagonist Bayard Sartoris that form the center of the dramatism of the entire book. Unlike his father, grandmother and stepmother, Bayard looks at reality differently. Although he follows the traditions ofthe South in some cases, he does not feel hatred towards the Northerners. While preserving his honor and pride, Bayard refuses to seek revenge for his father, which was a new tradition not typical of Southern literature.
Through the artistic images he created, Faulkner describes the tragedy not only of the southerners, but of the entire American society. The social and moral problems faced by the American youth in the twenties and thirties of the last century will continue to test the descendants of the next generation.
It is known from the science of literature that a novel does not appear by writing any daily life oc-curances and various events that happened among people. A real work should reflect the turning points in the history of the society and the spiritual life of the people. In Faulkner's works, regardless of the genre in which it was written, we observe such a lit-
erary phenomenon. That is why his works have not yet lost their artistic value.
The Southern Renaissance gave rise to unique writers who contributed their immortal and rare works to literature not only in the United States, but also in the world. Most Southern writers tried to draw attention to the country's tragic history and create literary works that portrayed the South as being right in the Civil War.
The system of images such as "beautiful southern ladies", "gentleman of the south who respects and follows the traditions and values of the country", "a black slave loyal to a white master", "impoverished white people" in the works of most writers of the South is a common feature of Southern literature.
Writers of the Southern Renaissance wrote about the anxieties and sufferings of history that weighed heavily on the shoulders of their countrymen. They were concerned with the themes of maintaining homogeneity and equality in a conservative society, in which a person and his inner world, family or church were considered insignificant. And finally, the writers of this period addressed the topic of slavery and slavery. Although they witnessed the complications of the slavery system, they were able to bring a great deal of objectivity to the subject that set them apart from writers of the past.
References:
1. Faulkner, William. The unvanquished. First Vintage International Edition, October 1991, ISBN 0-67973652-2, p 34-35.
2. Faulkner W. The Unvanquished / W. Faulkner. — Harmondsworth: Penguin books, 1975. p.82.
3. Arxangelskaya I. B. Kontsept "Amerikanskiy Yug" v romane Uilyama Folknera "Nepobejdyonnie» // Vestnik Nijegorodskogo universiteti imeni N.I. Lobachevskogo, 2014. № 2. Str.99.
4. Gutting G. Yoknapatawpha: The Function of Geographical and Historical Facts in William Faulkner's Fictional Picture of the Deep South / / Trierer Studien zur Literatur. — Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 1992.
5. Holman H. C. The roots of SouthernWriting. Essays on the Literature of the American South. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2008. P. 188.
6. Gray R., Robinson O. A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American South, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. 672 p.
