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Example research essay topic: Theme Of Revenge Absalom Absalom - 1,932 words

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... marry his own sister, he begins to have another conflict with the father that he has just gotten back in contact with (Lind 892). It would be neither proper nor appropriate for Bon to be married to his sister; therefore, the two men of relations are in mortal conflict over the girl. Through the words of Judith, the girl who the conflict is over, this idea can be seen. She says, ... something has happened between him [Bon] and my father (Faulkner 92).

In the same way, King David and son Amnon of the Bible conflicted over the idea of an incestuous relationship. One use of the Biblical allusion by Faulkner is to convey the conflict between father and son in this story. Another significant conflict that is conveyed through the allusion to the Bible is the brother versus brother conflict. Henry Sutpen admires Charles Bon greatly when he rooms with him in college and would be more than delighted to have his good friend and sister in love; however, this feeling vanishes when Henrys father reveals to him that Charles is his half-brother. From this point and on out Henry does everything that he can to keep Charles and Judith apart without having to mention the kinship between the two. They continue to want to be together and Charles even gets to the point where he proposes to Judith.

As a result of this incestuous love for his half-sister, Henry, the half-brother, kills him (Martine 294). This brother killing brother conflict occurs in the Bible also when Absalom kills Amnon, which is why Faulkner alludes to this particular Biblical story. Since Henry is Judith's brother it is his job to make sure that no dishonor or shame is brought upon her unknowingly. He does all that he can to keep the two of them apart but when all else has failed he ends up killing Charles. With the allusion to the conflict in the Bible story of King David, Faulkner shows the importance of the brotherly conflict in his novel.

In addition to the conflict among the brothers, there is also a conflict between a brother and a sister that is more clearly revealed through the allusion to the Bible (Hagan 216). Judith Sutpen is involved in a conflict that she herself has no idea she is in. Having unknowingly met her half-brother for the first time, she falls in love with him. This is the beginning of an incestuous relationship that will prevail for a time until their father reveals to their brother Henry that Charles is related to them. With the revealing of this knowledge, the two lovers are in a conflict with one another because they love yet they are related. It is not possible for them to continue in their relationship because of the strict monitoring of the two of them by Henry.

When Charles puts Judith in this position where she loves her own brother, he begins a conflict between them. He has placed her in an uncomfortable situation that she does not know how to truly deal with. From the time that Charles first begins to like Judith he has caused a conflict to build up between them. Without a doubt, the use of the Biblical allusion by Faulkner conveys the importance of the brother and sister conflict. Just as Faulkner uses the two allusions to develop his characters and portray the conflicts, he also uses them to embellish the themes that are brought about in the novel. Four of the main themes in this novel are the themes of love, incest, truth, and revenge (Rosenzweig 136).

All of these themes are intricately interwoven into the novel and play a significant part in the purpose of the story. Comparing the themes to a particular Bible story and the play Hamlet is easily done and serves to make them stand out even more. The Biblical account of King David and his family centers on a great deal of love and incest just as this novel has love and incest as two of its forbearing themes. With the allusion to Hamlet, the theme of truth is greatly referred to. It is not only the truth that is the theme but more specifically the search for truth.

In both stories the main characters are in dire need to know the truth and to act in accordance to the truth. Both of the allusions have the theme of revenge at the center of their stories as a couple of the characters are seeking revenge. Faulkner uses allusions not only for the sake of the development of the characters and conflicts but also for the defining of themes. The theme of love that is used in the novel is the same type of theme that is found in the Biblical story of King David. The central theme of the story of Sutpen deals with love and the novel defines love as the ability to see and to care for another in his own right (Rosenzweig 135). Using love as a theme is a well-developed idea that is central to the whole of the story.

More importantly to realize is that the characters in Faulkner's novel often fail to truly love but instead to lust after what they desire and more often than not this lust leads to the downfall of each character because it is the ultimate cause of evil. In the allusion to King David, the theme of the failure to love can be seen in his beginning relationship with Bathsheba. Instead of first forming a relationship with this woman thus leading to a love relationship, he lusted after her and sought what he wanted. This action is one of the ultimate causes of evil and results in a temporary downfall of his character. Many of the characters in Absalom, Absalom! lust after things, which is a result of their failure to love.

For Thomas Sutpen it leads him to the destruction of the family that he sought after and put much time into keeping. He fails to love what he already has which results in his lusting over things that he does not have. Instead of loving the things and people that would in the end give him the fabulous life that he desires, he loves the little things that will turn against him. The significance of the theme of the failure to love is seen through the allusion to the Biblical story of King David. Another theme that is defined through the Biblical allusion is the theme of incest. So clearly, is this theme portrayed throughout the entire story as a majority of the plot is centered on it (Martine 294).

The house of King David in the Bible is corrupted by the act of incest by Amnon's violation of his half-sister Tamar. From this comes the theme of incest that is so focused upon in Faulkner's story. Charles Bon enters into a relationship with his half-sister Judith and desires to marry her. However, this is not rendered possible because of the opposition that is bombarding them from their father and brother. Henry Sutpen seems to be obsessed with the possibility of an incestuous union and takes it to the extreme of killing Charles. Overwhelmed by his preoccupation with incest, Thomas Sutpen does not know how to properly deal with this relationship (Gray 255).

The theme of incest is revealed through the allusion to the family of King David in the Bible. Like the play Hamlet, Absalom, Absalom! has at its roots the search for truth, which is one of the themes in the book. The theme of love and truth are actually interspersed because love comes from the heart and the heart is the holder of truth (Magill, Critical Survey of Long Fiction 1104). In the Shakespearean play, Hamlet is searching for the truth of who has murdered his father. His search for this knowledge is what the entire story is about.

Just as Hamlet searches for the truth of his fathers death, Henry searches for the truth of whether or not Charles Bon really is his half-brother. Thomas Sutpen tells Henry that Charles is his half-brother but at first he does not believe him. Often times in the novel though, the theme of the search for truth is intertwined with the failure to know the truth. It appears that the failure to know the truth is a result of the overbearing ego that imposes and projects upon everything outside itself (Rosenzweig 136).

Not wanting to believe that he has not realized that Charles is his brother, Henry does not believe his father. Instead he goes to search for what the truth is and in the end he finds it. As a result of the use of an allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet, the theme of the search for truth is evident throughout the novel. In addition to the other themes, the theme of revenge is enhanced by the allusion made to both the Bible and Hamlet. Both Absalom and Hamlet seek revenge for the wrongdoings that have been committed against their family members. This novel is also about revenge that asserts the necessity for responsibility in human affairs (Marowski and Mature 104).

For part of Charles Bons life and his mothers life also, they have been waiting to seek revenge on Thomas Sutpen because he has abandoned them. The time finally comes for Charles to seek revenge when he takes part in an incestuous relationship with Sutpen's daughter Judith. Not only can he disgrace the family, but also he can and does take part in the downfall of Sutpen. Henry Sutpen also seeks revenge for the relationship that has developed between Charles and Judith. Realizing that the two lovers are related, he immediately puts the relationship to an end and kills Charles for knowingly doing it. Revenge is very evident in this novel as a majority of the characters are seeking it for one reason or the other.

Through the allusion to the Biblical story of Absalom and the play Hamlet, Faulkner allows the theme of revenge to be dominant in the story and easy to comprehend. In the novel Absalom, Absalom! , William Faulkner's characters are developed by his allusions to the Bible and the classical play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, which aids in portraying the conflicts and defining the central themes. By alluding to both the Biblical story of King David and the play Hamlet, Faulkner enhances the quality of his characters personality and the events that take place in their lives. Thomas Sutpen's character is greatly expanded as a result of the detailed parallels to King David.

Along with Sutpen, the character of Charles Bon is expounded upon because of his likeness to Amnon, King Davids son. Henry Sutpen and Thomas Sutpen are given an in depth description through the comparison between themselves and Hamlet. Their characters represent instability and blind psychological forces. Directly related to the conflicts found in the Biblical account of King David and his family are those conflicts in Faulkner's novel. Family members are no longer treated as family as they turn against each other in a series of events. Moreover, the two allusions are also used to make the thematic ideas stand out throughout the novel.

These ideas are the failure of love, the search for truth, and the need to seek revenge on those who have done wrong in the eyes of the characters. Through the allusions of the Bible and Shakespeare's Hamlet, Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom! is much better portrayed and easier to comprehend. Bibliography:


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Research essay sample on Theme Of Revenge Absalom Absalom

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