The Interpretation of The Intruder in the Dust under the Theory of Initiation Story

Initiation is an ever- lasting literary theme. This novel has long been typically assumed as a detective story by many readers as well as critics, but when we delve further into its essence and its major characters, it is not difficult to find that this novel is not only about an case of racial conflict in American South as it may appears, but more about the process of growing into maturity of a white American Southern boy amidst the raging noise of racial discrimination. This paper, proceeding from the theory of initiation story, aims to provide a new interpretation of William Faulkner's novel Intruder in the Dust. Based on the indepth textual analysis and the effective implementation of the theory of initiation story, the paper will explore the theme of initiation in the novel from two aspects, namely, the four basic elements of initiation story and the narrative structure of the initiation story. Therefore, a new point of view can be adopted to a better understanding of this novel.