Absalom, Absalom

Content Warning: This guide contains references to slavery, racial violence, rape, incest, and suicide. The source text uses racial slurs including the n-word, which is reproduced and obscured in quotations in this guide.

Thomas Sutpen, a central and enigmatic figure in William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom!, is complex and ambiguous, embodying various character types and serving pivotal roles within the narrative. As an archetype, Sutpen assumes the role of the antagonist, a larger-than-life figure whose actions reverberate through generations. Faulkner employs a multifaceted approach to characterize Sutpen, intertwining multiple perspectives to illuminate his personality. These include the perspectives of Miss Rosa, Mr. Compson, and Quentin Compson. The complexity of Sutpen’s character is illuminated through the embedded narratives and multiple perspectives of the text, as many characters share their strong, evocative opinions of who Sutpen was. Miss Rosa, for instance, sees Sutpen as a horrific demon whose evils doomed the Sutpen line; her perspective is galvanized when she describes how Sutpen insulted her during their brief engagement: “[he] spoke the bald outrageous words exactly as if he were consulting with Jones or with some other man about a bitch dog or a cow or a mare” (136).

Physically imposing and possessing an indomitable will, Sutpen’s presence in the novel is initially marked by his ambitious endeavors, such as building the grand mansion, Sutpen’s Hundred. His actions and decisions, such as his marriages and his ruthless pursuit of wealth and power, underscore his role as a domineering figure who rules by force and control. Sutpen’s relationships with others, especially with his children and wives, highlight both his charisma and the destructive consequences of his actions.

Through the narrative, Sutpen’s character undergoes a transformation, evolving from a mysterious and seemingly invincible force to a haunted and flawed individual. A man with an insatiable desire for control, his relentless pursuit of his vision ultimately leads to his downfall, culminating in his murder by Wash Jones after he casts aside 15-year-old Milly Jones for bearing him a daughter instead of a son. Sutpen’s internal conflicts, hinted at through indirect methods like inner thoughts and reactions, add layers to his characterization, portraying a man burdened by the consequences of his own choices.

Quentin Compson, a central character in Absalom, Absalom!, plays a crucial role in unraveling the intricate narrative of the Sutpen family. Quentin is characterized by a complex and introspective nature, haunted by a sense of Southern history and the burdensome legacy of the past. The novel employs the stream-of-consciousness technique to delve into Quentin’s thoughts, revealing a mind deeply entwined with the collective memory of the South and the enigmatic Sutpen saga. Faulkner uses Quentin as a vessel to explore time, memory, and the inescapable influence of the past on the present. In many ways, Quentin represents a bridge between the 19th-century American South and the contemporary, forward-looking moment of the early 20th century. He is very aware of his dual role as both a mouthpiece for the Sutpen past and an educated young person who is coming of age in an innovative, ever-changing century; he is often aware of how the past informs the present, and how he is a vessel of memories.

Quentin’s role in the narrative extends beyond being a mere observer; he becomes a conduit for Multigenerational Storytelling and Memory. His discussions with various characters and, notably, his recounting of the Sutpen story to his roommate, Shreve, showcase his involvement in constructing the family’s history. Through Quentin, Faulkner explores the Decline of the American South Post-Civil War and the intricate relationships between the characters.

Rosa is introduced as the sister of Ellen Sutpen, Thomas Sutpen’s first wife, and her story becomes a pivotal thread in unraveling the Sutpen family history. Rosa’s character is marked by bitterness, making her a symbol of the repercussions of Sutpen’s actions on those connected to him.

Rosa’s bitterness is palpable throughout the novel, especially as she recounts the events that led to the downfall of her family. As a storyteller, Rosa is, like Quentin, a conduit for the transmission of the Sutpen saga, providing him with a firsthand account of the family’s dark history. Her storytelling is characterized by a blend of vivid detail and emotional intensity, revealing the psychological toll of the past on her present state of mind. Additionally, Rosa has been alienated from society for over 43 years; when she begins to tell the tale to Quentin, it will be the first she’s spoken of it in decades. Her hatred for Sutpen, then, seems to overwhelm her—it has been augmented by years of simmering isolation.

Miss Rosa Coldfield’s character is also significant in highlighting the gender dynamics and social expectations of the Southern milieu in which she exists. As a woman scorned and marginalized by the actions of men, Rosa represents the limitations imposed on women in the patriarchal structure of the South. Her narrative voice adds a distinct dimension to Faulkner’s exploration of the Southern Gothic, emphasizing the ways personal and familial histories intertwine with broader sociocultural forces. Miss Rosa Coldfield stands as a testament to Faulkner’s nuanced characterization, embodying the haunting echoes of the past that reverberate through the lives of those entangled in the Sutpen legacy.

Henry Sutpen, Thomas Sutpen’s eldest child with Ellen Coldfield, embodies the aftermath of his father’s obsessive pursuit of wealth and social standing, which results in a character whose psyche is profoundly impacted by the weight of familial history.

As a child, Henry is presented as antithetical to his father’s grotesque, evil behavior through his intense reaction to the “slave fights” organized by Thomas Sutpen. When his mother finds him watching a fight, he immediately breaks down: “Henry clung to her, crying” (21). This initial disgust at the inherent evil of the plantation economy suggests that, perhaps, Henry will in some ways depart from the cruelties of his father. However, as the narrative progresses, Henry too becomes shrouded in the prejudices that seem to haunt his family, highlighting the way the Tragic and Violent Legacies of Slavery endured through generations.

As the narrative unfolds, Henry’s trajectory becomes a microcosm of the South’s struggle to reconcile its past with the present. His act of fratricide against Charles Bon, driven by a sense of duty and societal expectations, marks a profound turning point in the novel. Indeed, Henry could tolerate the possibility of incest between Charles Bon and his sister, Judith, but he could not accept the idea of his sister marrying a Black man. His violent behavior toward his half brother—which catalyzes the family’s final demise—is a metaphor for the South’s self-destructive tendencies in clinging to outdated, violent, oppressive ideologies that perpetuate tragic ends.

Henry ultimately withdraws from society and enacts a self-imposed exile; his deliberate alienation underscores Faulkner’s exploration of the psychological aftermath of war and the disintegration of traditional Southern values. Henry’s social isolation and retreat into obscurity is a manifestation of the broader social isolation experienced by the South in the post-Civil War period when the region was reeling from a vacuum of economic destruction. Henry, who was once heir to a massive fortune through his father’s plantation, retreats into a shell of himself and loses everything—his social standing, wealth, and power—echoing the losses experienced by the region at a similar historical moment.