Absalom, Absalom! | Essays and Criticism

  • History and the Sense of the Tragic: Absalom, Absalom!

    In the following essay, Brooks examines “the quality of Sutpen’s innocence” to “understand the meaning of his tragedy.”

  • Narrator Perceptions

    Bussey holds a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. She is an independent writer specializing in literature. In the following essay, she examines Rosa’s, Mr. Compson’s, and Quentin’s versions of the Sutpen story, determining what each narrator brings to the telling of the story. She also considers what is at stake for each narrator that may account for the differences in their perceptions of the story.