1 Light in August, Ch 1-2

1. Planer: a power tool that cuts thin layers of wood to create a smooth and level surface. It is also used to cut boards to a measured thickness. -www.jkwoodstudio.com/glossary.php

Page 32: "We out to run him through the planer," the foreman said. "Maybe that will take that look off his face."


2. In the first two chapters of Light in August, the reader is introduced to Lena Grove, a pregnant and unmarried teen on her way to Jefferson in search of her child's father. Along the way she receives help from Amistad and his wife, who, although being very stern and scolding Lena regarding her naivety, gives the teen all of the money from her piggy bank. When Lena arrives in Jefferson she finds out that the man people were pointing her to was Bunch, not Burch, but after talking to Bunch she learns about a man who goes by the name of Joe Brown. Brown, along with his friend Joe Christmas, used to work at the mill but quit to bootleg. After hearing about Brown it becomes apparent that he is in fact Lucas Burch, the man Lena has been searching for.


3. Light in August is very different from any other novel I've read, especially in terms of writing style. Faulkner uses strange punctuation and sentence structure, which I found challenging to read at first. However, as I'm becoming more accustomed to it I'm beginning to enjoy it. Also, he uses not only quotations but thoughts in italicized form. These thoughts provide a stream-of-conciousness that is unlike anything I've read before. Faulkner also uses beautiful diction, giving a great imagery to his writing. One of my favorite passages thus far is on pages 4 and 5:

"But some of the machinery would be left, since new pieces could always be bought on the installment plan- gaunt, staring, motionless wheels rising from mounds of brick rubble and ragged weeds with a quality profoundly astonishing, and gutted boilers lifting their rusting and unsmoking stacks with an air stubborn, baffled and bemused upon a stumppocked scene of profound and peaceful desolation, unplowed, untilled, gutting slowly into red and choked ravines beneath the long quiet rains of autumn and the galloping fury of vernal equinoxes."

This sentence is incredibly long and took me several read-throughs to understand, but once I comprehended it I found it beautiful. The word choice is profound, personifying the machinery. I especially liked the choices of "gaunt, staring, motionless wheels." These words provoked such a strong image and I am very impressed by Faulkner's ability to draw to mind such clear pictures through his text.


4. My first question may seem trivial but I am extremely confused on the matter. What race are the characters? I know that Joe Brown (Lucas Burch) is black, because Lena referred to him as "dark," and I know that Byron Bunch is white, but other than that I'm confused. At one point Lena's eyes are said to be blue so I'm assuming she's white but I'm unsure.

My second question is whether Lucas was ever going to send for Lena or whether he was attempting to desert her. I am under the impression he was leaving her with no intention of coming back but I could be wrong.

My final question for this section is what Faulkner's intentions are with Byron Bunch. He has fallen in "love" with Lena immediately, but with his workaholic nature I'm unsure as to whether readers are supposed to sympathize with him and like him or dislike him.