Faunia Farley Essay

In literature, a tragic figure in one who evokes sympathy from the audience due to unfavorable circumstances. Usually for passing films, the tragic figure is the mulatto character, but other characters from the film may also be classified as a tragic figure. For instance, Robert Benton`s The Human Stain (2003), Faunia Farley, a white young woman, can be considered a tragic figure. She is a tragic figure due to her history of abusive relationships and pedophilia Due to the relationship between Coleman Silk and A, the audience is inclined to feel pity for Faunia as she is being exploited in the inappropriate relationship. From the outset of the relationship, it becomes clear that Faunia desires to keep their relationship purely sexual, but Silk forces her into a romantic relationship through his manipulative gifts. For instance, Silk introduces Faunia to his friend over dinner at a fancy dinner,

During the film, it is revealed that Faunia was raped by her father throughout her childhood; he would stick his fingers in her as he read her stores. As a result, Faunia, who was illiterate, left her home at the age of fourteen, since she was unable to trust her father-figure. Therefore, due to her step-father raping her, Faunia was forced to live a menial life where she worked three jobs in order to survive. She is a tragic figure in that her step-father altered the course of her like at such a young age. Additionally, Faunia is abused by her husband, who once beat her so badly that she ended up in a coma. Moreover, after the couple divorced and the death of their children, Les Farley continued to stalk Faunia. These cruel incidents cause the audience of the film to sympathize for Faunia, causing her to be a tragic figure. By making him fear her, Les becomes the tormentor of an innocent woman who is trying to move on with her