Light in August

A detailed Summary of Light in August

Light in August is a book about the stories of three different people. The stories are of Lena Grove, Joe Christmas, and Reverend Gail Hightower. They were all linked in one way or another, even if they never met. Lena was a simple country girl. However, she was an orphan. But this was one thing she had in common with Joe. Joe Christmas was a cold and hostile person who was uncertain of racial identities. Reverend Gail Hightower was a very important part of this novel because he was the one who linked Lena and Joe together.

William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi, on September 25, 1897. His first book published was The Marble Faun. Soon after, he wrote novels such as Sanctuary, The Hamlet, The Town,

and The Mansion. These novels explored the post Civil War Southern life. Some of his other novels included- The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Absalom Absalom, and Intruder in the Dusk. During his life he also won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1949, Faulkner was awarded with the Prize for Literature. William then died on July 6, 1962 in Byhalia, Mississippi.

One antagonist working against Lena is the fact that she is pregnant. Society does not totally accept her for this reason. In chapter one the story

"That that child, that Christmas boy, is a nigger" (132).

Another protagonist is Lena Grove. In the beginning of the novel she was traveling because she was chasing after her lover. She changed, however, because toward the end of the book that was not her reason for traveling. She was traveling because she enjoyed it and because she had freedom.

One symbol in Light in August is pregnancy. In this story Lena was pregnant. This could represent either responsibility or irresponsibility. Depends on who the person is and the type of mother they are. In Lena?s case, it represents responsibility. The reason I say responsibility is because in chapter one it says that Lena took care of herself, the other children and also the housework. She learned how to care for a child and I think that is why she ended up pregnant.

"Lynch him? Lynch his own grandson?" (372)

everyone gave him. He became stronger.

said how Lena did all the housework and took care of the other children. After this Lena said, I reckon that?s why I got one so quickly myself (5). I think Lena taking care of the other children had an impact on her having a child when she did.

Another symbol in Light in August is race. Joe was a black guy trying to make it in the real world. It was tough for him. I think race sometimes represents strength. I feel this way because in the beginning of the novel Joe was kind of weak. Throughout the nove

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 986
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels