Faulkner’s Forefathers in the Film, William Faulkner: A Life on Paper

The role of fathers looms large in this Faulkner documentary. In terms of strictly male person lineage, William Faulkner seems trapped in this sort of grey world between organism his own man and the fact that he was so much alike his male ancestors. I imagine this is true of all individuals, struggling to mystify our way between ourselves as individuals and as shaped by our contexts. In Faulkners case, however, he seems conspicuously geared towards adopting those traits first shown by his ancestors, the same arrogance, a haughty pride,and a tradition to look for a fight. At the hazard of psychoanalyzing far beyond my knowledge, what seemed inte detaining to me is how the collective Faulkner males seem content to rest on the laurels of their forefathers. Faulkners father, for example, dreams of inheriting his fathers fortune rather than making his own. Faulkner himself loafed with numerous jobs, perhaps only waiting for the colonels writing abilities to be channeled by means of F aulkners own skills and establish him as a writer. The dynamics of such fashion puzzle me. Is this some sort of inher...