Absalom, Absalom Lesson Plan

How do the distinctions between Quentin, Shreve, and the characters begin to disappear in Chapter 8? How does this fit into the themes of storytelling, history, and legacy?

The characters telling the story begin to merge not only with each other but with the characters within their story. As Quentin and Shreve continue to tell and invent the story in unison, they "glare" at one another with "a sort of hushed and naked searching." Thus, not only are their voices indistinguishable but there is also a sense of homoeroticism that reflects the relationship between Henry and Bon. This connection is affirmed when Faulkner writes, "So that now it was not two but four of them...