Riley WilliamsN.C. Central University’s Haley Moore presented her original research on William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” before a gathering of undergraduate scholars at Duke University’s inaugural Triangle Undergraduate Literary Conference during a sunny Saturday afternoon on Feb. 22.
Students from UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke made up the majority of presenters. Moore, an English and interdisciplinary studies junior, was the only student from NCCU – or any HBCU – selected to present research.
“There was so much pressure, but then there was no pressure at all,” Moore said. “I knew that no matter what I did I would make everybody proud. “But I really wanted to show that just because we’re kind of an underutilized and low-resource school – and an HBCU – it doesn’t mean we don’t have scholars coming out of Central.”
The day-long research conference was created by Duke students to provide undergraduates with an opportunity to share original literary research in a professional setting, according to Duke’s Department of English website.
Moore said she first heard about the opportunity from her mentor, NCCU English lecturer LaKela Atkinson.
“I shared it with my classes last semester, but she was the only one who expressed interest in it,” Atkinson said, adding that she met with Moore regularly since winter break to help her prepare for the conference. “I was so excited. She had put in all of the effort and all of the behind-the-scenes work, so when she got up there her presentation was so effortless.”
“She knew her stuff.”
Moore said her research on “The Sound and the Fury” explored how Faulkner flipped the patriarchal teachings from the Bible, ultimately examining the unfair treatment of women in canonized literature.
“When I read through the book the first time, I realized how Caddy was the focal point, but we never get her point of view,” Moore said. “I really wanted to shine a light on injustices surrounding women in literature.”
Moore also discussed how the text can be interpreted as a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve, discussing symbolism and parallels that show up between the two stories.
At the end of her presentation, she invited the audience to think more critically about the media they consume.
“When we think of the tale of Adam and Eve, we automatically blame Eve for humanity’s downfall,” Moore said in her presentation. “But we have to ask ourselves, ‘why is that?’”
“Why do we skip over the fact that it was Adam who ate the apple? Adam had a choice not to eat it – he could have listened to God and not eaten the apple, but he didn’t, and we skip over that part.”
Atkinson said she felt like a “proud parent” watching Moore’s presentation from the audience, adding that she thought the crowd reacted well and seemed impressed by Moore’s research.
“It was so great. I feel so loved – One of my professors called it my fan club,” Moore said, adding how the community her community was there in full force.
“My family was there, and my friends and my professors. I really think that everyone showing up from NCCU really shows how close-knit we are and how much we care for each other and for our students.”
