Absalom, Absalom! Themes

One of the aspects of Absalom, Absalom! that makes the novel so difficult to read is its narrative perspective. The perspective shifts frequently—and often without clear or obvious transition—as different narrators tell their version of the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen, the novel’s main character. The book’s complicated, meandering narrative style reflects one of its central themes: the idea that a person’s understanding of history is subjective, flawed, and incomplete. As Quentin listens…

Absalom, Absalom! takes place in Mississippi before, during, and after the American Civil War. Thomas Sutpen’s rise and fall throughout this time may be read as an allegory for the American South in a broader sense, examining how the South’s legacy of slavery continues to haunt the region in the aftermath of the Civil War. The Confederacy (comprised of Southern states that seceded from the Union) experienced great economic decline following its defeat in…

At the heart of Absalom, Absalom! lies an incest plot centered around three of Thomas Sutpen’s children: Henry Sutpen, Judith Sutpen, and Charles Bon. Bon is Henry and Judith’s half-brother (unbeknownst to Henry and Judith), and his mother was part Black, whereas the Sutpens are white. Bon’s Black ancestry further complicates the novel’s incest plot, adding another type of social taboo in the world of the novel: interracial relationships. When Henry…