Narrative of Color Line and “Double Consciousness” in William Faulkner’s Novels

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2021-0045

Abstract

Race is one of the major preoccupations in William Faulkner's novels. This article approaches this issue from the concept of “double consciousness” by W. E. B. Du Bois. Originally refered to African-American identity conflicts, the “double consciousness,” in this study, is expanded to stories of different skin colors including the white, black, and mullato. Given American literature of color line, this study aims to acknowledge the features of Faulkner's approach to the issue of race. Firstly, the writer interpreted and questioned American history, tracing the identity conflicts of different races in post-Civil War context. Second, he questioned the color line, to see racial prejudice as a crime, a curse that humanity must bear. However, Faulkner still could not get over the racial prejudices, which is driven by longstanding racial stereotypes in American culture and from the “double consciousness” of the very white-writer himself.