FAULKNER AND BLACK SCHOLARS: A STUDY OF THE RESPONSE TO FAULKNER'S BLACK CHARACTERS

The present study inspects nine black characters in Faulkner's fiction and surveys the criticism those characters have received from black scholars. The purpose is to show that Faulkner has studied the Negro with a keen and sympathetic eye. In fact, the number of black characters in Faulkner's work exceed 160 characters. Although most of them are minor, still they are convincing, and several occupy a central place in their stories. The nine studied here emphasize the variety and richness of Faulkner's depiction of black people and black life. These characters--differing in age, sex, social position and temperament--all share one thing: they are all true-to-life characters with whom we sympathize and sometimes identify. The study concludes that although Faulkner may start his career with a stereotypical image of the Negro, he frees himself of the stereotype and of racial prejudices. Such is the case even though some recent black critics have been unwilling to give him credit for this change.