Artistic Self-Theft as Obsession and Creative Transformation: The "Memphis" Stories and Beyond

The article analyzes how William Faulkner repeatedly reuses, revises, and transforms his own earlier writings—particularly the “Memphis” stories—across different works. It introduces the idea of “artistic self-theft”, not as plagiarism, but as a deliberate creative strategy. The study shows that Faulkner returns obsessively to certain characters, settings, and narrative situations, reshaping them in new contexts. This process reveals both continuity and transformation: earlier materials are not simply copied, but reworked to explore deeper psychological, thematic, and formal concerns. The article argues that this self-recycling reflects Faulkner’s artistic obsession and his evolving vision of the fictional world (especially Yoknapatawpha County). It also demonstrates how revision becomes a mode of creativity, where repetition leads to innovation rather than redundancy. Ultimately, the essay redefines originality by suggesting that literary creativity can emerge through repetition, variation, and transformation, rather than entirely new invention.

Loại tài liệu:

Article - Bài báo

Tác giả:

Sayre, Robert Woods

Đề mục:

Literary Studies

Nhà xuất bản:

The Johns Hopkins University Press

Ngày xuất bản:

Fall 1997/Spring 1998

Số trang/ tờ:

Định dạng:

pdf

Nguồn gốc:

The Faulkner Journal, Volume 13, Number 1/2, Fall 1997/spring 1998, Pages 37-56

Liên kết:

ISSN 0884-2949

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