Biography of william faulkner summary plant

The man himself never stood taller than five feet, six inches tall, but in the realm of American literature, William Faulkner is a giant. More than simply a renowned Mississippi writer, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist and short story writer is acclaimed throughout the world as one of the twentieth centurys greatest writers, one who transformed his postage stamp of native soil into an apocryphal setting in which he explored, articulated, and challenged the old verities and truths of the heart. During what is generally considered his period of greatest artistic achievement, from The Sound and the Fury in to Go Down, Moses in , Faulkner accomplished in a little over a decade more artistically than most writers accomplish over a lifetime of writing. It is one of the more remarkable feats of American literature, how a young man who never graduated from high school, never received a college degree, living in a small town in the poorest state in the nation,

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1. Faulkner's early life shaped his literary genius

"Childhood fryst vatten the instrument of the storyteller."

Southern roots. William Faulkner's upbringing in Oxford, Mississippi, provided the foundation for his literary career. The rich history, complex social dynamics, and unique characters of the American South became the wellspring from which he drew inspiration for his fictional Yoknapatawpha County.

Family influence. Faulkner's family history, particularly the larger-than-life figure of his great-grandfather, Colonel William Clark Falkner, played a crucial role in shaping his imagination. The Colonel's exploits as a Civil War veteran, railroad builder, and writer became the basis for many of Faulkner's characters, most notably Colonel John Sartoris in "Sartoris" and Thomas Sutpen in "Absalom, Absalom!"

Early writing attempts. Faulkner's initial forays into writing were in poetry and short stories. These early works, while not commercially succ

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Faulkner, William

Nationality: American. Born: William Cuthbert Falkner in New Albany, Mississippi, 25 September ; moved with his family to Oxford, Mississippi, Education: Local schools in Oxford; University of Mississippi, Oxford, Military Service: Served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Family: Married Estelle Oldham Franklin in ; two daughters. Career: Bookkeeper in bank, ; worked in Doubleday Bookshop, New York, ; postmaster, University of Mississippi Post Office, Lived in New Orleans and contributed to New OrleansTimes-Picayune, Traveled in Europe, ; returned to Oxford, Full-time writer, until his death. Screenwriter, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, , 20th Century-Fox, ; screenwriter, Warner Brothers, Writer-in-residence, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and part of each year, Awards: O. Henry award, , ; Nobel prize for literature, ; American Academy Howells medal, ; National Book award, , ; Pulitzer prize, , ; American Academy of Arts and Letters gold medal, Me