Who was William Faulkner? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: William Cuthbert Faulkner

Died At Age: 64

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Estelle Oldham (1929–1962)

father: Murry Cuthbert Falkner

mother: Maud Butler

siblings: Murry Charles

Born Country: United States

Nobel Laureates In Literature Poets

Died on: July 6, 1962

place of death: Byhalia, Mississippi, United States

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

U.S. State: Mississippi

Notable Alumni: University Of Mississippi

epitaphs: William Cuthburt Faulkner_x000D_, Born Sept. 25 1897_x000D_, Died July 6, 1962

More Facts

education: University Of Mississippi

awards: 1949 - Nobel Prize for Literature
1955 - Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
1963 - Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

1951 - National Book Award for Fiction
1955 - National Book Award for Fiction

Recommended For You

1

What are some common themes in William Faulkner's works?

Some common themes in William Faulkner's works include the complexities of the human experience, the decline of the American South, the effects of history and slavery, and the nature of time and memory.
2

How did William Faulkner's writing style influence American literature?

William Faulkner's innovative writing style, characterized by stream-of-consciousness narrative, nonlinear storytelling, and richly detailed character development, had a profound impact on American literature, inspiring future generations of writers.
3

What are some of William Faulkner's most famous novels?

Some of William Faulkner's most famous novels include "The Sound and the Fury," "As I Lay Dying," "Light in August," and "Absalom, Absalom!"
4

How did William Faulkner explore the concept of race in his works?

William Faulkner's works often delved into the complexities of race relations in the American South, portraying the deep-seated prejudices, injustices, and tensions that existed between different racial groups.
5

What literary techniques did William Faulkner frequently use in his writing?

William Faulkner was known for employing literary techniques such as stream-of-consciousness narration, multiple perspectives, nonlinear storytelling, and intricate symbolism in his works.

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Childhood & Early Life

William Cuthbert Faulkner was the oldest of the four sons born to Murry Cuthbert Falkner and Maud Butler, in Albany, Mississippi. In his early years, he was greatly influenced by the Mississippi way-of-life and was heavily influenced by Southern American culture.

His mother, Maud and his maternal grandparents greatly influenced his creative resourcefulness as they were all avid readers and indulged in creative pursuits themselves.

His childhood years were one of adventure and he was taught how to hunt, fish and track by his father, while his mother taught him and his brothers to take pleasure in reading and going to church. Thus, from a very young age, he was exposed to classics by Charles Dickens and the like.

He began writing poetry and started to model most of his works on the Romantic era. Although he was a good student in school, his academic performance began to decline as he reached high school, where he gradually lost interest in studying.

He never graduated from high school, but enrolled at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford. Many of his poems were published in campus journals and although he would creatively engage himself in this manner, he failed to complete his semesters at the institution and dropped out in November, 1920.

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Career

His earliest works include poetry such as his most famous poetry collection, ‘The Marble Faun’, published in 1924.

He penned his first novel, ‘Soldiers’ Pay’ in 1925, which earned him much recognition. He then went on to write his second novel, ‘Mosquitoes’ and two years late, wrote his first novel set titled, ‘Flags in the Dust’.

Much to Faulkner’s surprise, ‘Flags in the Dust’ was not accepted by his publishers and he had to get the novel re-edited. It was eventually published as ‘Sartoris’, in 1928. The same year, he started to work on another one of his works, ‘The Sound and the Fury’, which released the subsequent year.

At the beginning of 1930, he started to work on short stories, which he sent out to a number of national magazines. He also wrote ‘As I Lay Dying’ and ‘Sanctuary’, the latter being his first literary breakthrough in two years.

In 1931, his first short story collection was published entitled, ‘These 13’, which contains some of his most famous stories including, ‘Red Leaves’, ‘Dry September’, ‘A Rose for Emily’ and ‘That Evening Sun’. Many of these stories were based in a fantasy place called Yoknapatawpha County.

In 1932, he was offered work as a screenwriter in Hollywood; a job that paid him well through the decade. During this time, he continued to write a number of stories and novels, some of the most important ones being, ‘Light in August’ (1932) and ‘Absalom, Absalom!’ (1936). He continued screenwriting throughout the 1930 and 1940s.

In 1949, he wrote another collection of short-stories, this time written in the crime-fiction genre titled, ‘Knight’s Gambit’. The same year he was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature.

He wrote his first Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘A Fable’, in 1954. From 1957 to 1958, he served as a ‘writer-in-residence’ at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville.

Just before his death, he penned, ‘The Reivers’, which is also considered one of his greatest works.

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Major Works

‘The Sound of Fury’, published in 1929, was one of his early works, which did not become successful during its initial release. However, after another one of his works, ‘Sanctuary’ was published, this novel went on to garner critical and mainstream success. The novel is ranked as one of the ‘100 best English-language novels of the 20th century’ by the Modern Library and was re-released in 2012 in a limited edition collection.

‘Sanctuary’, published in 1931, was labeled as a ‘potboiler’ and was his first international literary breakthrough. This magnum opus became so popular that it was adapted for film titled, ‘The Story of Temple Drake’.

He authored ‘A Fable’, which was published in 1954. This regarded as one of his later masterpieces, which went on to win prestigious awards like the ‘Pulitzer Prize’ and the ‘National Book Award’.

Awards & Achievements

In 1949, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his ‘unique contribution to the modern American novel’.

He was honored with the ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur’, in 1951.

He won two Pulitzer Prizes for his novels, ‘A Fable’ and ‘The Reivers’ in 1955 and 1963, respectively; the latter awarded posthumously.

Personal Life & Legacy

As a teenager, he courted Estelle Oldham who eventually married Cornell Franklin but divorced him ten years later. She then married Faulkner in April 1929 and brought her two children from her previous marriage along with her. He had one daughter with her.

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While he was married to Estelle, he was known to have had a number of extra-marital affairs with Meta Carpenter, Joan Williams and Else Jonsson.

He survived a horse-riding accident in 1959. Three years later, he passed away after suffering from a cardiac arrest and was interred at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Oxford.

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, created in his memory, is awarded to new fiction writers.

On August 3, 1987, the United States Postal Service distributed a 22-cent postage stamp in his honor.

Facts About William Faulkner

William Faulkner had a pet hawk named "Miss Chicken" that he kept at his home in Mississippi.

Faulkner once worked as a postmaster at the University of Mississippi, but was reportedly terrible at delivering the mail on time.

Faulkner was known for his unique writing routine, often working late into the night and sometimes even writing while lying in bed.

Faulkner claimed to have written his novel "As I Lay Dying" in only six weeks, completing the entire manuscript without changing a single word.

Faulkner was a skilled horseback rider and enjoyed spending time at the race track, where he would often place bets on his favorite horses.

William Faulkner Biography

You wanted to know

What are some common themes in William Faulkner's works?

How did William Faulkner's writing style influence American literature?

What are some of William Faulkner's most famous novels?

How did William Faulkner explore the concept of race in his works?

What literary techniques did William Faulkner frequently use in his writing?