Faulkner and Psychology
Faulkner and Psychology
Characteristically, William Faulkner minimized his familiarity with the theories of psychology that were current during the years of his apprenticeship as a writer, especially those of Freud. Yet, Faulkner’s works prove to be a trove for psychological study. These original papers from the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, held in 1991 at the University of Mississippi, vary widely in their approaches to recent psychological speculation about Faulkner’s texts. In recent years psychological analysis of literature has shifted largely from investigation of a writer’s life to a focus on the work itself. Whether applying the theories of Freud and Lacan, drawing upon theoretical work in women’s studies and men’s studies, or emphasizing the rigid determinacy of psychological pressure, the essays included in this collection show Faulkner’s works to be unquestionably rich in psychological materials.
Donald M. Kartiganer was the William Howry Professor of Faulkner Studies at the University of Mississippi. Ann J. Abadie is former associate director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi and coeditor of numerous scholarly collections from the Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference.
