Later, Henry forms a strong attachment to the sophisticated Charles Bon, who becomes Henry's closest friend. A worldly and sophisticated young man who grew up in Haiti and New Orleans, he attended the University of Mississippi beginning in 1859 and was engaged to Judith Sutpen throughout the Civil War. Learn all about how the characters in Absalom, Absalom! He is one of the first narrators of the Sutpen legend and one of the most objective. Orphaned at the age of 12 and fetched, by Clytie, to live at Sutpen's Hundred. Miss Rosa grew up in a loveless household, which left her with life-long emotional scars. Major de Spain The sheriff who was forced to kill Wash Jones when he came to investigate Sutpen's murder. Miss Rosa Coldfield Goodhue's second daughter born twenty-seven years after her sister, Ellen. Study Guide," June 23, 2017, accessed November 12, 2020, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Absalom-Absalom/. Henry Sutpen The son of Thomas and Ellen Coldfield Sutpen and heir to the Sutpen Hundred estate. General Compson The first of the respectable men to accept Thomas Sutpen. Born Ellen Coldfield. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." He grows up a disturbed and tortured young man, unable to reconcile himself to the fact of his black blood, and finally dies of yellow fever in 1884. Married to Ellen Coldfield; father of Henry, Judith, and Clytemnestra Sutpen, also of Charles Bon. Jim Bond The idiot child of Charles Etienne Saint Valery Bon and his pure-black wife. His mother, Eulalia, was abandoned by Thomas Sutpen for unknown reasons in 1831, although Quentin belives that it was because Sutpen learned Eulalia had black blood. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Absalom, Absalom. Spent the rest of her life as a bitter spinster, obsessed with her anger and hatred of Thomas Sutpen. Father of Ellen Sutpen and Rosa Coldfield. Taken by Clytie to Sutpen's Hundred in 1871. Grew up on Sutpen's Hundred as subservient to Judith and Henry; remained at the plantation until burning the manor house down in 1910, an event which caused her death. Absalom, Absalom! Henry is an indecisive, nonviolent character who easily falls under the influence of others. Son of Thomas Sutpen and Eulalia Bon, the part- black daughter of the owner of the Haitian plantation on which the young Thomas Sutpen was overseer. Th’ Almighty, nodding, gave consent,And peals of thunder shook the firmament.Henceforth a series of new time began,The mighty years in long procession ran:Once more the godlike David was restored,And willing nations knew their lawful lord. Grew up on Sutpen's Hundred, where she was engaged to Charles Bon in 1860. LitCharts Teacher Editions. She seems weak and pliable at first, but surviving with Clytie during the Civil War hardens her. Read the excerpt from paragraph 9. Colonel John Sartoris The man whom Sutpen replaced as commanding officer during the American Civil War. He gets rich growing cotton with slave labor. Strong, indomitable, and, like her father, swift to action. She is done in by the tragedy that consumed the household during the Civil War, and dies at a young age. A young man from Jefferson, Mississippi, who is preparing to attend (and later does attend) Harvard in the first part of the 20th century. Charles wants only the slightest acknowledgment from Sutpen that he is his son but never gets it. A wise but ineffectual man who believes in fate above all else. and any corresponding bookmarks? Percy Benbow The judge's son who discovers that his father used money won at horse racing to pay for Miss Rosa's bills. Ellen Coldfield’s much-younger sister, younger aunt of Henry and Judith Sutpen. He is one of the first narrators of the Sutpen legend and one of the … Later, Henry shoots and kills Charles Bon to prevent him from marrying his half sister, Judith. Quentin Compson A student at Harvard who tries to tell what the South is like by telling the story of the Thomas Sutpen family. A summary of Part X (Section5) in William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!. He tells his grandson, Quentin, a great deal about Sutpen. Course Hero. "Absalom, Absalom! Charles Bon The one-sixteenth black son of Thomas Sutpen and Eulalia Bon who becomes engaged to his own half-sister, Judith. Though she frightened many people--Miss Rosa included--her last act was a gentle one, nursing Charles Etienne de St. Valery Bon while they both suffered from yellow fever. Character Evolution Major Story Arcs Thriller Bark Arc . such as Thomas Sutpen and Ellen Sutpen contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. Our. ’Tis time to show I am not good by force.Those heaped affronts that haughty subjects bringAre burdens for a camel, not a king:Kings are the public pillars of the state,Born to sustain and prop the nation’s weight.If my young Samson will pretend a callTo shake the column, let him share the fall:But oh that yet he would repent and live!How easy ’tis for parents to forgive! Alexander Holston The owner of the Holston House. Daughter of Thomas Sutpen and a slave woman. What more can I expect while David lives?All but his kingly diadem he gives,And that,’ but there he paused, then sighing said,‘Is justly destined for a worthier head.For when my father from his toils shall restAnd late augment the number of the blest,His lawful issue shall the throne ascend,Or the collateral line where that shall end.His brother, though oppressed with vulgar spite,Yet, dauntless and secure of native right,Of every royal virtue stands possessed,Still dear to all the bravest and the best. Colonel Willow The officer who reported to Sutpen that Henry was wounded. from your Reading List will also remove any Ellen Sutpen's younger sister; aunt to Henry and Judith Sutpen (although she was born four years after Judith and six years after Henry). A low-class squatter living in the abandoned fishing camp at Sutpen's Hundred. The devastation of the Civil War in the South and his own desperation for an heir seal his tragic fate. He materialized in Jefferson out of thin air in 1833 and proceeded to swindle Indians out of 100 acres and use a team of 20 slaves to raise an enormous estate, then marry Ellen Coldfield and begin his "dynasty." Mr. Compson. His earliest and closest relationship is with his sister, Judith. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Absalom, Absalom! Course Hero. A mysterious figure who towers over the book. Judith Sutpen Henry's strong and determined sister who falls in love with Charles Bon. Son of Ellen and Thomas Sutpen. Son of Charles Bon and his octoroon mistress in New Orleans. Absalom, Absalom study guide contains a biography of William Faulkner, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. His last name Bon means "good" in French. He relates the story of Thomas Sutpen to his roommate at Harvard College, Shreve, and joins with Shreve in imagining events to explain parts of the tale. A flighty and excitable woman. Have study documents to share about Absalom, Absalom!? Performed odd jobs for and drinks whiskey with Thomas Sutpen. However, the more Henry learns about Charles Bon, the stranger and more conflicted their relationship becomes. Print Word PDF. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! An indomitable, willful, powerful man, who achieves his ends through shrewdness and daring, but who lacks compassion. Briefly engaged to Thomas Sutpen following Ellen's death, but left him after he insulted her. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Course Hero. Learn everything you … Ikkemotubbe The Indian chief from whom Sutpen acquired his land. Related Questions and Answers for Characters in Absalom, Absalom! About Absalom, Absalom! She also shows a caring loyalty to the Sutpen children until a gross insult from Thomas Sutpen forces her to flee the plantation. Quentin Compson listens to others tell the story of the Sutpen family; he also receives an old letter from the Sutpen family. He lives on an abandoned fishing camp with his young granddaughter, Milly Jones, occasionally doing odd jobs for Thomas Sutpen and, after the Civil War, drinking with Sutpen as well. Son of Charles Bon and his octoroon mistress- wife. Absalom, Absalom literature essays are academic essays for citation. Murdered, along with Sutpen and the baby, by her grandfather shortly after the birth. Course Hero, "Absalom, Absalom! He has lived all of his life in Jefferson, a member of an old and socially elite family there, and has grown up with the legend of Thomas Sutpen. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Quentin responds with the story of Thomas Sutpen, and Shreve, quick to understand that storytelling depends on the teller, joins in with his own reinterpretation.