China and the West

Li, Wenjun. [Fukena]. In : Meiguo wen xue jian shi [ID D29603].
Li Wenjun writes with admiration for Faulkner's stylistic achievement, his moral vision and he speaks well of such positive characters as Dilsey - "the only healthy person in the book, whose loyalty, perseverance, endurance and compassion constitute a resurrection of humanity". He concludes that while Faulkner presents a vivid picture of the South he also "explores the major problems of modern man : man's relationship with society, sin and redemption, the burden of the past and how to deal with this burden, the corruption of modern civilization and how to maintain one's purity, etc." He also notes that "these are issues often discussed by the middle class and its intellectuals in the West", that Faulkner "takes the stand of a sensitive intellectual, the stand of humanism and democracy" and thus embodies the "spirit of his age" ; therefore, he asserts, Faulkner is crucial for Chinese readers who would understand the "major problems of the West". Concerning style, he notes that Faulkner's stream-of-consciousness method is a "step forward from James Joyce", that his "works of many dimensions and their complex narrative methods further reflect the complexity of modern life". Then he suggests that "it is still too early to say whether his methods are the best. But, at least, he offers some experience for us in the development of technique in writing".