NCHS AP English Language

Ch.4 - Time - Patrick Collins

In chapter 4 of A Light in August, Faulkner introduced and gave background information on three main characters of the novel. The first two characters he introduces are Joe Christmas, a half white- half black man, and Joe Brown. They both come to the town of Jefferson Mississippi and end up working in the local saw mill, Christmas a few years longer than Brown. One day after years of working at the mill we find out that Christmas has quit, which is most likely because he has made enough money in his other job (bootlegging whiskey). We also learn aroung the same time that part of the reason Brown is in town is because he is in the bootlegging business along with Christmas. Together they live is the negro cabin behind a carpetbagger women named Joanna Burden's house. Brown accuses Christmas of having a relationship with Burden, and Christmas denies it. A few days later, the same day the Lena comes to town, Joanna Burden is found in her burning house. Brown is arrested because he was rumored to be seen at the crime sight. As he is telling the story to his accusers he tells a skethcy story the mixes up the time that he found out about the fire. He senses that his story is going to be a failure so he goes to plan B, which is accusing Christmas of doing it on the grounds that he is a negro. The main theme that can be drawn from this chapter is that no matter what the story people are going to disagree about what happened in the past. Since the present is really only a fraction of a second, and the past is actually the majority of our life, we are relatively uncertain about the events in our lives. This theme of past uncertainty is best illustrated in the case of Joe Brown attempting to recall the story of his experience with the Burden fire.
Patrick Collins

posted by NCHS AP English Language III @ 12:26 PM