One of the most critically acclaimed writers not only in the United States but in other countries as well, William Faulkner differs from other American writers in that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to pigeonhole him into anyone category. On the one hand, he wrote his fiction mainly in the native tradition, thus making him one of what Philip Rahv called `Redskins` like Mark Twain and Theodore Dreiser. On the other hand, Faulkner particularly in the early periods of his literary career was influenced by European writers. In that sense, he can be categorized as one of what Rahv also called `Palefaces` like Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne.<BR> The same thing is true with Faulkner`s affiliation with literary traditions. It can be argued that he was one of realists and/or naturalists as exemplified in such novels as Flag in the Dust. Light in August, and the Snopes Trilogy. He was, however, one of writers who not only introduced literary modernism into the United States, but also developed that tradition. His works of fiction, such as The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, and Absalom, Absalom, have been interpreted as one of most representative modernist novels. Futhermore, a close investigation of some of his novels also reveals that he is one of precursors of what has been known as postmodernism.
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