Major Themes in Faulkner's Light in AugustFaulkner's Light in August is a metaphor. In fact, there are many metaphors, almost infinite. It's a jumble of allusions, themes, portraits, all uniquely important, many of which are completely unrelated. In fact, no 20th century writer has even addressed the amount of symbolism that Faulkner put into every page, except perhaps James Joyce who went so far as to surpass Faulkner in this regard. It would therefore obviously be foolish to attempt to trace each line, to follow each branch to its root; one could spend a lifetime dissecting the book this way. Fortunately, amidst this menagerie of wonders, there are overarching themes. There are veins of meaning that permeate everything. Chief among them; Faulkner's study of 20th-century man's quest for identity and his compassionate portrait of theories of evil. I came back from Alabama with a piece of fur (Faulkner, p.3). The reader begins the book in this way, following Lena, simple and determined, on her journey, neither coming nor going, but simply moving. Immediately, the book draws on his past, chronicling the events that led to this point, explaining his motivations. We get a clear sense of his character and settle into his story, but as soon as that happens the book shifts gears, turning instead to a vague character, Joe Christmas. With little introduction or warning, the book delves into Joe's past, catching the reader completely unaware and upending the entire continuity of the book. Faulkner's desire for unity and consistency in pattern is not as strong as his desire for truth in the face of individual response (Reed, p. 123). So Léna is a frame, she only serves to accentuate the Christmas story, by contrast. Faulkner asks the reader to follow and understand this. So now we see the childhood of Christmas. From the beginning, Christmas has been two things. Firstly, he is completely blank in that he has no idea of ​​his past, of his origins. He is neither predestined to good nor evil, he is simply born. Likewise, Christmas remains confusing. Because he has no idea of ​​his origins, he has no idea of ​​himself, even to the point of not being sure of himself.