Dec 17, 2009

Absalom, Absalom! | Style

Narrative Structure
Absalom, Absalom! is considered to be one of Faulkner’s most difficult novels because of its complex narrative structure. In a sense, the story becomes part of an oral tradition among the residents of Jefferson and, as Shreve becomes involved, people living beyond Jefferson. Many of Faulkner’s characteristic structural innovations are employed in Absalom, Absalom!, such as long sentences, flashbacks, and multiple points-ofview describing the same events. Because the narrative structure is so unusual, the reader is kept off balance from...