In five pages this essay analyzes the structural importance of Reverend Hightowar's character to Light in August, a novel by William Faulkner. There are no other sources listed.
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as the relationship that an individual has with the wider human community, including responsibilities and goals. In essence, Faulkner asks "Why are we here?" and the answer has to do
with the overall structure of society and how people form communities In order to represent these themes in a balanced manner, Faulkner employs two characters who are symbolically polar
opposites. Joe Christmas, as an orphan of mixed racial heritage, is the unfortunate recipient of everything vile that the town of Jefferson has to offer, but, on the other hand,
Lena Grove, an unmarried, pregnant woman, seems to naturally inspire people to want to help her and she invokes a positive response from the community. Between these two extremes is
the Rev. Gail Hightower. The following discussion of Hightowers role in this novel will demonstrate how he is the "hub" that connects the disparaging "spokes" that are the stories of
Lena and Joe Christmas. From his first appearance in the narrative, it is clear that Hightower has been highly influenced by some event in the past that is connected
with his grandfathers being shot while riding a horse. This event caused him to stay in Jefferson, despite the fact that it is also clear that he has suffered
at the hands of the townspeople. Mostly, Hightower wants to be left alone and suffer in his emotional isolation, which while it is painful, has become familiar and comfortable to
him. In other words, Hightower has withdrawn from life and has no intention of ever changing that position. Nevertheless, Lenas presence in the town pulls him more and more
back into the active stream of life. Hightowers desire for isolation is directly related to his inclination to live in the past, and his steadfast refusal to confront the problems