Themes and Motifs: Meaning Meaninglessness

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Absalom, Absalom!, 100 (Event)
Actions: Communication›Writing | Movement›Surrey
Themes and Motifs: Animals›Mules | Appearance›Similarity | Body›Face | Community›Social life | Death›Burial | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory | Objects›Letter
Relationships: Familial›Grandparent-grandchild
Aesthetics: Figures of Speech›Loom | Figures of Speech›Skull | Figures of Speech›Stone | Narrative›Self-Reflective
Absalom, Absalom!, 12 (Event)
Environment: Time of Day›Afternoon | Time of Year›April
Actions: Emotional›Despair | Emotional›Self-pity | Mental›Fatalism | Mental›Realization | Mental›Remembering
Cultural Issues: Religion›God | Religion›Providence | War›Defeat | War›Deprivation
Themes and Motifs: Absence/Loss›Absence as loss | Death›Like death | Determinism›Fated | Futility›Nothing to do | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Psychological›Trauma | Time›Frozen / Static | Time›Long passage of time
Aesthetics: Allusion, Biblical›Heaven | Figures of Speech›Negation | Tone›Elegiac
Absalom, Absalom!, 262 (Event)
Environment: Time of Year›Confederate Decoration Day
Cultural Issues: Clothes›Confederate uniform | Clothes›Dress | Cultural Identity›Lost Cause
Themes and Motifs: Animals›Mockingbird | Community›Decoration Day | Home›Homecoming | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Objects›Medal | Past›Past in present
Aesthetics: Narrative›Conjectural narration
Absalom, Absalom!, 81 (Event)
Actions: Perceptual›Investigating
Themes and Motifs: Animals›Ants | Meaning›Meaninglessness
Aesthetics: Allusion, Geographical›New Orleans, Louisiana | Figures of Speech›People compared to animals
Absalom, Absalom!, 91 (Event)
Actions: Interaction, Private›Conversation | Moral›Corrupting | Verbal›Arguing
Cultural Issues: Cultural Identity›Puritan | Race›White race | Religion›Godhead | Ritual›Initiation | Sexuality›Prostitution | Sexuality›Racialized | Slavery›Commodity | Slavery›Racialism | Slavery›Sex
Themes and Motifs: Body›Blood | Body›Hair | Character›Gambler | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Philosophical›Evolution | Recurring Tropes›Eternal feminine | Values›Decorum | Values›Honor | Values›Propriety
Relationships: Friendship | Interracial›Marriage
Aesthetics: Figures of Speech›Bird | Figures of Speech›Seed
As I Lay Dying, 174 (Event)
Environment: Natural›Woods
Actions: Physical›Waiting
Cultural Issues: Religion›Sin
Themes and Motifs: Meaning›Meaninglessness | Meaning›Paternity | Recurring Tropes›Secret
Relationships: Hierarchical›Pastor-congregant | Marital›Adultery
Aesthetics: Language
As I Lay Dying, 175 (Event)
Actions: Bodily›Breastfeeding | Domestic›Cleaning
Themes and Motifs: Death›Preparing for death | Meaning›Interpretation of symbol | Meaning›Maternity | Meaning›Meaninglessness
Aesthetics: Symbolism›Blood
Requiem for a Nun, 165 (Event)
Environment: Place›Official office
Themes and Motifs: Futility | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Philosophical›Redemption
Aesthetics: Description›Stage direction
Sanctuary, 292 (Event)
Environment: Public›Jail | Time of Year›Spring
Actions: Bodily›Crying
Themes and Motifs: Meaning›Meaninglessness
The Reivers , 292 (Event)
Environment: Public›Town Square | Time of Day›Afternoon
Actions: Movement›Car | Movement›Walking | Verbal›Lying
Cultural Issues: Age›Rite of passage
Themes and Motifs: Absence/Loss›Loss of innocence | Arrivals/Departures›Return home | Home›Homecoming | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Values›Truth/Lies
Aesthetics: Typography/Orthography›Italics
The Sound and the Fury, 116 (Event)
Actions: Emotional›Cynicism | Emotional›Despair | Emotional›Tragic / tragedy | Mental›Realization | Perceptual›Experiencing second-hand / vicariously | Verbal›Conversation
Cultural Issues: Gender›Chastity / purity | Gender›Chauvinism / Misogyny | Gender›Sexual double standard | Sexuality›Virginity
Themes and Motifs: Meaning›Limitations of words / language | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Philosophical›Human experience | Philosophical›Human nature | Philosophical›Unnatural / Contrary to nature | Recurring Tropes›Father said
Relationships: Familial›Father-son
Aesthetics: Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Style›Long sentence | Typography/Orthography›Dialogue with no quotation marks | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 123 (Event)
Cultural Issues: Religion›Religious faith
Themes and Motifs: Futility›Illusion of success or victory | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Remembering | Morals›Faith | Morals›Injustice | Philosophical›Nihilism | Recurring Tropes›Father said | Recurring Tropes›Nothingness
Aesthetics: Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Typography/Orthography›Capitalization | Typography/Orthography›Italics | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 123 (Event)
Environment: Atmospheric›Dust | Time of Year›August | Weather
Actions: Emotional›Cynicism | Emotional›Nostalgia | Emotional›Sadness | Perceptual›Familiarity
Cultural Issues: Sexuality›Desire
Themes and Motifs: Death›Preparing for death | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Remembering | Philosophical›Human experience | Philosophical›Human nature | Philosophical›Nihilism | Philosophical›Reduction / summing up | Philosophical›Tedious / tedium | Recurring Tropes›Father said | Recurring Tropes›Nothingness | Recurring Tropes›Thinking of home | Recurring Tropes›Tomorrow and tomorrow
Relationships: Familial›Father-son
Aesthetics: Allusion, Literary›Macbeth | Allusion, Literary›Shakespeare, William | Figures of Speech›Chess imagery stalemate | Language›Fragments | Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration
The Sound and the Fury, 124 (Event)
Environment: Domestic Space›Pasture
Actions: Economic›Selling land | Emotional›Caring | Emotional›Despair | Physical›Escaping | Physical›Starting over
Cultural Issues: Education›Harvard
Themes and Motifs: Absence/Loss | Futility | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Money | Recurring Tropes›Nothingness
Relationships: Familial›Brother-sister
Aesthetics: Allusion, Geographical›Harvard University | Narrative›Resumption of sentence after interruption | Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Recurring Episodes›Compsons sell pasture | Typography/Orthography›Dialogue with no quotation marks | Typography/Orthography›Italics | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 135 (Event)
Environment: Atmospheric›Sunlight | Auditory›Birdsong | Domestic Space›Immigrant neighborhood | Natural›Body of water | Natural›Flowers | Natural›Moss | Natural›River | Natural›Water moving / flowing | Natural›Woods | Place›Road
Actions: Emotional›Frustration | Emotional›Worry | Interaction, Private›Strangers in a public place | Movement›Walking | Perceptual›Listening | Perceptual›Sensing | Verbal›Questioning
Cultural Issues: Clothes›Hair ribbons | Ethnicity›Language barrier | Food›Bread | Gender›Women as mysterious / secretive
Themes and Motifs: Appearance›Hair pigtails | Appearance›Invisibility | Arrivals/Departures›Return | Home | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Meaning›Profound | Recurring Tropes›Little sister | Recurring Tropes›Solitude | Time›Awareness of time
Relationships: Familial›Father-daughter | Friendship›Adult-child
Aesthetics: Allusion, Biblical›Hell
The Sound and the Fury, 147 (Event)
Environment: Auditory›Birdsong | Domestic Space›Immigrant neighborhood | Natural›Body of water | Natural›Trees | Olfactory›Perfume smell | Place›Stone wall | Time of Day›Afternoon
Actions: Emotional›Crying | Emotional›Despair | Emotional›Hysteria | Emotional›Laughing | Emotional›Regret | Emotional›Sadness | Emotional›Self-consciousness | Emotional›Shame | Interaction, Private›Strangers in a public place | Mental›Suppression / trying not to think | Mental›Thinking | Movement›Car | Movement›Swimming | Perceptual›Passing from sight | Physical›Inaction / Not doing something | Physical›Touching | Physical›Wave / waving | Play›Children playing | Play›Playing in water | Verbal›Chatter
Cultural Issues: Alcohol›Wine | Alcohol›Wine hamper | Class›Gentility | Ethnicity›Italian | Food›Bread | Gender›Dirty girl | Health and Illness›Unspecified sickness | Mass Media›Newspaper | Sexuality›Desire | Sexuality›Virginity
Themes and Motifs: Appearance›Dirty | Body›Eyes | Body›Face | Body›Hand / Palm | Body›Knee | Body›Throat | Meaning›Limitations of words / language | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Remembering | Psychological›Obsession | Recurring Tropes›Gaze | Recurring Tropes›Little sister | Recurring Tropes›Shadows | Values›Propriety
Relationships: Familial›Father-daughter | Friendship›Adult-child | Friendship›College companions / classmates | Social›Homoerotic
Aesthetics: Diction›Neologism | Figures of Speech›Coal dust | Language›Abundance or flow of words | Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Style›Unfinished sentence
The Sound and the Fury, 169 (Event)
Environment: Olfactory›Oversweet organic | Olfactory›Smelling water | Time of Day›Twilight
Actions: Mental›Thinking | Physical›Sleeping
Cultural Issues: Health and Illness›Insomnia
Themes and Motifs: Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Remembering | Recurring Tropes›Paradox | Recurring Tropes›Shadows
Aesthetics: Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Symbolism›Shadows
The Sound and the Fury, 176 (Event)
Actions: Verbal›Conversation
Cultural Issues: Class›Gentility | Sexuality›Incest
Themes and Motifs: Death›Suicide | Futility›Failure to defend honor | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Remembering | Philosophical›Nihilism | Time›Permanence | Values›Honor
Relationships: Familial›Father-son
Aesthetics: Allusion, Biblical›Jesus | Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Style›Long sentence | Typography/Orthography›Capitalization | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 76 (Event)
Actions: Economic›Gifting | Emotional›Cynicism | Emotional›Defeat | Verbal›Conversation
Themes and Motifs: Futility›Illusion of success or victory | Meaning›Absurdity | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Forgetting | Memory›Remembering | Objects›Watch | Philosophical›Nihilism | Recurring Tropes›Father said | Recurring Tropes›Mausoleum | Time›Awareness of time | Time›Being outside of time
Relationships: Familial›Father-son
Aesthetics: Allusion, Literary›Classical rhetoric | Language›Latin phrase | Typography/Orthography›Dialogue with no quotation marks | Typography/Orthography›Hyphen | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 80 (Event)
Environment: Natural›Body of water
Actions: Emotional›Cynicism | Emotional›Despair | Emotional›Sadness | Mental›Imagining | Mental›Realization | Mental›Thinking | Perceptual›Seeing | Verbal›Conversation
Cultural Issues: Religion›Divine judgment | Religion›Resurrection | Sexuality›Conception/Conceiving a child | Sexuality›Preventing or avoiding sex | Sexuality›Virginity
Themes and Motifs: Character›Impotence | Death›Bones | Death›Death by water / Drowning | Death›Suicide | Futility›Failure to defend honor | Futility›Illusion of success or victory | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Memory›Forgetting | Memory›Remembering | Morals›Honor | Objects›Flat-iron | Philosophical›Existentialism | Philosophical›Nihilism | Recurring Tropes›Door | Recurring Tropes›Father said | Recurring Tropes›Tomorrow and tomorrow | Time›Abrupt shift in time | Time›Long passage of time | Values›Honor
Relationships: Familial›Father-son | Social›Adversarial
Aesthetics: Allusion, Biblical›Judgment Day | Allusion, Biblical›New Testament Book of Revelation | Allusion, Literary›Coleridge, Samuel | Allusion, Literary›Eliot, T. S. | Allusion, Literary›Poem "Kubla Khan" | Allusion, Literary›Poem "The Waste Land" | Language›Fragments | Narrative›Foreshadowing | Narrative›Repetition | Narrative›Stream of consciousness narration | Typography/Orthography›Dialogue with no quotation marks | Typography/Orthography›Italics | Typography/Orthography›Lack of Punctuation
The Sound and the Fury, 85 (Event)
Environment: Atmospheric›Moonlit | Atmospheric›Wind | Auditory›Clock ticking | Natural›Body of water | Public›Store window | Time of Year›December
Actions: Emotional›Cynicism | Perceptual›Looking | Work›Jeweler
Cultural Issues: Materialism›Machinery or mechanical references
Themes and Motifs: Appearance›Baldness | Body›Hair | Meaning›Meaninglessness | Objects›Watch | Philosophical›Nihilism | Recurring Tropes›Dead time | Recurring Tropes›Door | Recurring Tropes›Father said | Recurring Tropes›Stillness | Supernatural›Folk customs | Supernatural›Superstitions | Time›Awareness of time | Time›Being outside of time | Time›Duration of time | Time›Frozen / Static | Time›Measuring time | Time›Timelessness
Relationships: Familial›Father-son
Aesthetics: Allusion, Historical›Philosopher Bergson, Henri | Diction›Racist term | Figures of Speech›Bird | Figures of Speech›Death / Dead imagery | Figures of Speech›Drained marsh | Figures of Speech›Gull | Figures of Speech›Simile | Figures of Speech›Water | Narrative›African-American folk sayings