William Faulkner’s novel Light in August entails a somewhat exaggerated portrayal of Southern life in his time. The racial biased tendencies of the white man of the time of the novel were, of course, a segregated view between Whites and Blacks. Of the several themes this novel presents, the philosophical concepts of ones self and his community provide a basis for the community’s collective voice of racism and hatred and the drawing of an ontological line between Whites and Blacks.
The essence of collective thought of the community portrayed by the novel’s omniscient narration fuels the novel’s prejudiced identity. The omniscient narration of the novel allows the reader to hear the community’s collective thoughts as if they were “thinking aloud” and view the community’s view of Blacks. At the scene of the burning Burden mansion, the narration expresses that they “believed aloud that it was an anonymous negro crime committed not by a negro but by Negro… knew, believed, and hoped that she had been ravished too: at least once before her throat was cut and at least once afterward” (288). This shocking description of the all too morbid thoughts of the crowd characterizes how they viewed Blacks for being the natural rapists and murderers of the society. They also condemned Joanna Burden and wished harm upon her for her relations with blacks. Even the sheriff is surprised when he finds that a report bears witness to a white culprit not a black one. In the wake of Joanna’s death the community displays a feeling of isolation from her and righteousness as opposed to sympathy and fear. For her association with the Negro cause, the community viewed her as a living insult to the community of Jefferson. They saw her as unforgivable and presented with a righteous death. The view the white community has of the Negro community is nothing less than criminal.
The community in the novel lives in the constant mindset of alienation between blacks and white. The Jefferson community...