Absalom, Absalom! Chapters 4–5: Rosa Coldfield’s Humiliation and Sutpen’s Obsession | The Big Book Project (Video 2 with Dr. Larry Allums)

Welcome back to The Big Book Project, hosted by Lori Feathers. In Video 2, Lori continues her discussion of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! with returning guest Dr. Larry Allums. Together, they unpack the intense drama of Chapters 4 and 5, where Rosa Coldfield’s narration reveals her humiliation at the hands of Thomas Sutpen — and Faulkner deepens his exploration of race, obsession, and the tragic design at the heart of Sutpen’s Hundred.

In this episode, Lori and Larry discuss:

• Rosa’s fateful journey to Sutpen’s Hundred and the death of Charles Bon
• Judith’s shocking composure and Clytie’s defiance
• The detective-story structure of Faulkner’s storytelling
• Sutpen’s bizarre “courtship” of Rosa and his obsession with producing a male heir
• The moral and emotional unraveling of the Sutpen dynasty
• The chilling ending of Chapter 5 — and what may still be “alive” inside the dark house

If you’re reading Absalom, Absalom! along with us, this video helps illuminate Faulkner’s intricate web of narrators, memory, and myth.

📚 Next episode: We’ll continue the conversation with Chapters 6–7.

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Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome back to The Big Book Project
01:10 – Rosa’s journey and the murder of Charles Bon
11:25 – Judith’s calm and Clytie’s defiance
21:45 – Rosa’s narration and Faulkner’s detective style
31:30 – The “courtship” of Rosa and Sutpen’s obsession
49:00 – Reconstruction and loss of Sutpen’s Hundred
1:04:00 – Rosa’s outrage and the theme of humiliation
1:20:00 – The mysterious presence in the house

Keywords:
William Faulkner, Absalom Absalom analysis, The Big Book Project, Lori Feathers, Larry Allums, Faulkner deep dive, Rosa Coldfield, Thomas Sutpen, Southern Gothic, literary discussion, American classics, book club, big books, modernist fiction, Faulkner interpretation