Courthouse and Square in Light in August (Location)

The Courthouse icon represents both an actual and a symbolic Location. The courthouse building at the physical center of Jefferson is where the case of Joe Christmas is heard at the end of the novel; during that Grand Jury proceeding Byron Bunch stands "beneath the portico which faced the south side of the square," and notes how "the stone columns rose, arching, weathered, stained with generations of casual tobacco" (415; interestingly, he does not note the statue of the Confederate soldier that in other Faulkner texts stands outside the courthouse's south side). At the same time, the square around it is the symbolic center of the town's collective identity, and serves as a gathering place for various groups of people. Also, as with other texts, we use "Courthouse Square" as the location for "the town" as an entity. When "the town" tells the story of Hightower to Byron, or reflects on the story of Christmas, this site will be used as the place of the event.