Thomas Sutpen: Faulkner’s Reconstruction of King David Story in the Bible as Reflected in Absalom, Absalom
B. Problem Formulation
1. How is the intertextual relation between King David story in the
Bible and Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom?
2. How does Faulkner reconstruct the story of King David in the
Bible as seen in the story of Thomas Sutpen the main character
of Absalom, Absalom?
C. Scope of Study
This research is focused on the intrinsic part of King David story in the book of Samuel in Bible and Thomas Sutpen story in Absalom,
Absalom in order to find the intertextual relation between this two works.
The other elements of this literary work are discussed as long as they support the analysis to answer the problems. According to Harold Bloom:
Intertekstual adalah sebuah teks yang berasal dari hubungan antara “karya baru” dengan karya pendahulunya. Artinya,
suatu karya sastra tidak mempunyai arti, kecuali hanya dalam hubungannya dengan karya sastra lain yang
memungkinkan karya tersebut dapat diinterpretasikan. Hubungan tersebut dapat saja berupa kata, frasa, kalimat,
atau masalah yang terdapat dalam suatu karya sastra Bloom in Sangidu, 2004: 25.
Harold Bloom affirms the intertextual relation can be found in words, phrases, sentences or problems inside the new work. Hence, the analysis of
the intrinsic elements is important here.
D. Research Objectives
The objectives of the research are formulated as follows: 1.
To explain the intertextual relation between King David story in the book of Samuel in the Bible and William Faulkner’s
Absalom, Absalom 2.
To explain the way Faulkner reconstructs the story of King David in the book of Samuel in the Bible as seen in the story of
Thomas Sutpen the main character of Absalom, Absalom.
E. Benefits
The benefits of this research are: a.
To get the total meaning of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom
through the intertextual relation with the story of King David in the book of Samuel in the Bible.
b. To give further information to the readers in analyzing literary
work based on the intertextual approach.
c. To be used as a reference by the reader in understanding the
work of William Faulkner.
F. Approach
