The Identity of Joe Christmas Anonymous 12th Grade

“He looked like a phantom, a spirit, strayed out of its own world, and lost,” (114) can easily be regarded as one of the most impactful lines in William Faulkner’s Light in August. A very prominent theme throughout the novel is identity, which the quote explores; identity plays a substantial role within the plot of the book, serving as well as a key for the character development of the ‘protagonist’, Joe Christmas. In the novel, Faulkner consistently experiments with each character, including Christmas, and with how they are identified by others and by the reader. Identity can be made very apparent, as when characters quickly label Christmas based upon his actions in tandem with his heritage. Or, identity can be made subtle, like when Christmas mimics the actions that were previously directed at him by other characters. Throughout the whole novel, characters like Christmas always identify themselves, but other characters are able to identify him as well, thus accentuating his main internal conflict.

The way in which Faulkner manipulates how Chrismas identifies himself and how the other characters identify him seemingly enhances the main conflict surrounding Christmas’ ambiguous identity. With each character, Faulkner...