A Discussion about Moral Depravity and Moral Reconstruction in Go Down， Moses

PANG Jun-xin

【Abstract】Go Down，Moses is one of the remarkable works which has caught widespread attention from domestic and international scholars.With a brand-new angle of the relationship between social-historical factors and literature creation，referring to Faulkner`s life experience and historical background，this paper is an attempt to studies on Southern social culture and issue：moral depravity and moral reconstruction which are reflected in Faulkner`s fiction.

【Key words】Southern Society；Moral Depravity；Moral Reconstruction

【作者簡介】龐珺芯 （1993.6- ），女，漢族，黑龍江哈爾濱人，碩士研究生，哈爾濱師范大學(xué)公共英語教研部，研究方向：英語教學(xué)。

1. Introduction

The American South in 20th century is still a mysterious existence.It has unique charming that attracts more and more scholars which are delving into the ocean of books and exploring the culture and customs of southern society beyond the ocean.William Faulkner is a loyal and outstanding recorder in his territory.He grew up in the south and he made novels set in that land to open the way for his own world—a miniature of modern western society which shows the life scenes of America Southern society and changing times during the period of 200 years.An influential scholar Malcolm Cowley made a appraisal of Faulkner`s work in the preface of The Portable Faulkner.He argued that Faulkner is an epic poet or a troubadour who used a prose genre and a creator of myths weaving the legend of South.This not only shows that Faulkner`s work is the epitome of the southern world， but also appreciates his uncommon talents， colorful literary creation， power of observation， peculiar composing method and the greatest fictional achievement of Yoknapatawpha County.One of William Faulkner`s greatest collections of short stories Go Down， Moses is an important component of novels about “Yoknapatawpha”. The novel with hidden logic， obscure language and distinctive structure to reveal the vicissitudes of McCaslin`s prosperity and decline.The Faulkner`s creation inspired by his life experience and time background.And the literary works also reflect the contemporary social situation which is revealed in the author thought.If we want to learn more about living conditions of people and social culture in the south of America after the Civil War， Go Down， Moses might be the best choice.

2. Moral Depravity and Moral Reconstruction

In Go Down， Moses， with detailed description and shaping， Faulkner shows the most striking and obvious theme that is the loss of human ethic and the re-construction of values.He values family affection and treasures family all the times and to regard it as foundation of human`s life and future.But it`s worth noting that almost all the members in family of McCaslin are not happy in his novel.Although they have property， estate， slaves， and servants， they are almost all bachelors.Carother was living alone for a long time， feeling an unendurable sense of being alone.His two sons regard women as the plague with an unexplained fear.Because of falling into the trap， Buck is compelled to get married at the age of 60， and Buddy never married.When Ike is born， Buck is nearly seventy.He and his wife separates and spends a lifetime lonely.Consequently， this is the end of male offspring in McCaslin.That is roughly what happened in the branch of white daughter.Cass`s wife has never appeared in the novel， Zack`s wife dies in childbirth.And Roth himself is over forty and unmarried.In other words， a woman who is in the white relationships of McCaslin family has never been appeared in the story.If we trace the source of the family misfortune and the root of decline， that is incest， which makes the whole family enveloped in shadows of the damned to loss the ability of love.How many money to buy animals and slaves is recorded in McCaslin`s account book.Animals and slaves are equivalent in the aspect of social status and economic values which the hosts could deal with them any way they want. And the hosts are completely free from legal sanction.Faulkner `s representation of the once idyllic hunting camp shows that theirs participants and theirs activities to be as flawed as Carothers McCaslin was， at least in his rape of his black slave Eunice.Later， Carothers already knows that Tomasina is his daughter whose mother is a black female slave， but he still grabs his own daughter when she is 23 years old.Tomasina bears Tommy`s Turl.And then Carothers`s sexual depravity led both women-directly-to their deaths.This behavior of animals is the embodiment of the human moral depravity going against traditional ethics.It is not only roots in people`s moral nature， but also has the intimate social root—Southern slavery and private ownership of land in U.S.

Carother`s less mentally-civilized behavior is not uncommon in American South Society at that time.In the eyes of slaveholder， the black are not men， they are beasts， commodity， and even private property.Eunice is a slave that Carother has bought several years ago， hence it is the master`s private property and do not seem to be related to family and morality.The so-called insect in Go Down， Moses signifies Tomasina is being cast as a private good to prevent the loss of property， and she has produced more possession—Tommy`s Turl.Sin continues， without end.After a hundred years， what Roth has done becomes a duplicate of Carother.This figure which features in the story makes the theme of novel （ethic land） much deeper. In the chapter of Delta Autumn， he violates the principle of hunting and shoots does.He has incest relationship with the daughter of Tommy`s Turl.He dallies with she， gives up she， and even abandons theirs baby.At that time Roth has been went away from natural world， he has brought the iniquities of theirs father into blood deeply， and he has forgot the most primitive human virtues：love， mercy， courage， etc.

Ike is maybe a redeemer and the most earliest man in Go Down， Moses who realizes the sin and to take actions.As he comes to see the corruption inherent in the McCaslin lineage， Ike chooses to disown his birthright. However， his pursuit is just spiritual purification.The fornication of Roth illustrates the failure of Ike`s save and to prove that there`s no future for Ike`s behavior of escape and wait.When Ike has find inner peace， he leaves the sin in Southern society.More and more people will continue this evil.More and more people will suffer from miserable fates which seem to be under a curse.The immoral behavior described in novel was very common in the south of America.The ancient slavery and private land ownership create a lot of brutal and ruthless and presumptuous man， and let people loses theirs bearings in the field of moral.Therefore， the character of Ike tells us that moral salvation needs the washing of soul， the process of human mind and civilization and advancement of society.

3. Summary

Literary works belonged to developmental production of society.Literature works in every period， we can clearly see populace`s consciousness， quality of life and the state of domestic society.From the Go Down， Moses， we see decay concepts and distort social value in the South.We see human beings who are relentless predators， rob to natural resources， take harmony living environment.We see the twisted soul and the difficult lives of American blacks.We also see those people of good will struggle in hardship， bring bright and affect to this world， just like Molly， Gawain， and “Pantaloon in Black”.In addition， literary works is to promote an important force in the development of human society.The South never stands still， they push on through.Slavery will come to an end one day and the enlightened society will come eventually.Like the end of Was， Faulkner writes down”a fine race while it lasted， but the tree was too quick.”Go Down， Moses reflects the human nature and awareness of the basic way of human life.It place emotions on the hope enlightened social system and the reconstruction of beautiful life in America South.The wit and humor of Faulkner`s writing skills and the glamour of English literature formed this world-famous magnum opus of literature together.And I believe that each kind of elements of literature all print in the comfortable sentimental appeal of life， like the long lines in the air which is decorating the scene of the earth freely.Go Down， Moses.Go Down， let our people more freedom！

References：

[1]William Faulkner，（1994）.Go Down，Moses，New York：Vintage books.

[2]Linda Wagner-Martin，（2007）.New Essays on Go Down，Moses， Peking University Press，pp.21-41.

[3]Malcolm Cowley，（1985）.The Portable Faulkner，Penguin Books.

[4]Brooks Cleanth，（1963）.William Faulkner：The Yoknapatawpha Country.New Haven：Yale University Press.

[5]Millgate Michael.The Achievement of William Faulkner.New York：Random House.

[6]肖明涵.威廉·?？思{-騷動的靈魂[M].四川人民出版社，1999.

[7]王屹.這是一個新天地：《去吧，摩西》主題闡釋[J].四川外語學(xué)院報，2000：31-33.

[8]李文俊.威廉·福克納[M].人民文學(xué)出版社，2010.

[9]韓啟群.近五年外國威廉·福克納研究述論[J].當(dāng)代外國文學(xué)， 2015：159-165.