The Importance of Family Tradition in the Film, William Faulkner: A Life on Paper :: Movie Film Essays

The Importance of Family Tradition in the Film, William Faulkner A Life on PaperWilliam Faulkners disembodied spirit was defined by his inability to conduct himself as a true Southern gentle humans. He neer achieved affluence, strength, chivalry or comply. Therefore, the myth of Southern masculinity eluded him. Faulkner shied international from violence, he never proved himself in battle. He was not a hard worker, nor was he an excellent family man. Seemingly worst of all, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father and the Old Colonel. The code of Southern raising highly praises family tradition. As a born and bred Southerner I can demonstrate to this fact. Every man in my family for ten generations has been a plumber. It is the utmost honor for a man to follow his fathers example. Faulkner, unfortunately, was incapable of rightfully living like his father. Therefore, I believe Faulkners collective failures ar rooted in the fact that he could not live up to the standards set by the manpower in his family.Faulkners father and big(p) grandfather could be described as the embodiment of Southern masculinity. The icon A Life on Paper made it clear that the Faulkner men were manly men. The Old Colonel was remembered as a valiant war gunman and a wonderful storyteller. Williams father continued perfectly in his footsteps. He had an intense work ethic and he served in the military. He provided for his family and he never turned down a good fight. together they set the mold for the perfect Southern man, a role that William could never hope to fulfill.William did, however, possess the unquenchable pride of a Southern man. He recognized the importance of proving himself to his father. So he spent his time emulating the man he admired. He tried to construct a normal family life but he was self- centered and irresponsible. His lack of steady income pr effected him from being a provider like his father. Perhaps worst of all, Faulkner missed an important eu charist of passage by being denied war experience. The writer never actively participated in battle, so he constructed an elaborate web of lies and vivid stories. This event highlights Faulkners own intense determination to reach the Southern ideal. Since he couldnt really be a war hero, he fancied himself into one. This struggle proved extremely difficult for Faulkner. Upon reading Faulkners The Unvanquished, I drew a parallel between Drusillas commentary on life and Faulkners own pursuit of masculinity (100).