THE MOTIF OF RETRIBUTION IN THE NOVELS “ABSALOM, ABSALOM!” BY W. FAULKNER AND “ALL THE KING’S MEN” BY R. P. WARREN

Abstract

Aim. The purpose is to study the motif of retribution in the novels “All the King’s Men” by R. P. Warren and “Absalom, Absalom!” by W. Faulkner.
Methodology. The research relies on the comparative method of literary analysis supplemented with the method of motif analysis.
Results. In the novels “All the King’s Men” by R. P. Warren and “Absalom, Absalom!” by W. Faulkner the motif of retribution seems to be vital for understanding the plot of both novels. It is also important that retribution comes to the fathers from their own children. The authors deal with this topic in a different way, but still there are some stunningly common traits.
Research implications. Though the novels by W. Faulkner and R. P. Warren are well known and have been studied for a long time both in Russia and the U.S., there is no specific research dedicated to the motif of retribution in these novels. By examining this motif and comparing it in these texts we can approach some better understanding of the regulations of its realization in Southern literature of the first half of the twentieth century.