Yoknapatawpha County

Carter Jeffery, Sam Million, Shaye Zeman, Denis Xhi Xhi

Pronunciation

• Yolk-nah-pah-TAW-fah• Derived from two Chickasaw words; Yocona and petopha

History

• Originally Chickasaw land• White settlement started about 1800• Started off as plantations, turned into small

farms

Pro’s to Imaginary county• “I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth

writing about, and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.” • Faulkner lived in Oxford, Mississippi, his hometown and the place the

county was modeled after, for most of his life and was rarely away for long periods of time.

• And so it was beneficial for Faulkner to write using Yoknapatawpha, because 1) Faulkner knew a lot about his hometown and so could use that in his novels, 2) but could also deviate slightly when the novel could find it necessary.

Summary

Yoknapatawpha county was essential to the writings of Faulkner because it allowed him to create his very own unique setting, and while it did have basis in the real county of Lafayette in Mississippi the imaginary county was free of fallacies that come from the use of real historical places.

Free Writings

• 1) Do you think it is beneficial to writer to make up a fictional town to use as the setting for all of their writing? Why or why not?

• 2) If you were to create a fictional place, where would it be and why? Would it be based in reality or completely made-up?

Discussion

• 1) Besides the aspect of familiarity, what do you think are some reasons for Faulkner basing Yoknapatawpha on his home town?

• 2) Do you feel that some other aspects of the story besides the location reflect on Faulkner’s personal feelings, or his life in general? Which ones, and why?

• 3) Do you feel that Faulkner’s personal connection with Yoknapatawpha created a more realistic atmosphere within the story? Why or why not?

Work Cited

Stein, Jean. N.p.. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4954/the-art-of-fiction-no-12-william-faulkner>.