Tyler Wynn
The Sound and the Fury is a novel written by the American author William Faulkner and published in 1929. It is considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, but it is also known for being a challenging read. Faulkner's use of multiple narrative styles, including stream-of-consciousness writing, results in a complex and emotionally powerful work that explores the decline of the Compson family from different points of view. The novel draws on Faulkner's own life experiences and is inspired by authors such as James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the novel | The Sound and the Fury |
| Author | William Faulkner |
| Year of publishing | 1929 |
| Genre | Novel |
| Narrative styles | Multiple, including stream of consciousness |
| Number of sections | Four |
| Setting | Fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi |
| Character inspiration | Faulkner drew inspiration from his life and people he knew |
| Similar works | My Ántonia by Willa Cather |
| Difficulty level | Difficult |
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What You'll Learn
The novel's narrative styles and structure
The Sound and the Fury, a novel by American author William Faulkner, employs a variety of narrative styles and has a complex structure. It is Faulkner's fourth novel, published in 1929, and is known for its nonlinear plot structure and unconventional narrative style.
The novel is divided into four sections, each presenting a different narrative perspective and style. The first three sections are narrated from the viewpoints of the three Compson sons: Benjamin ("Benjy"), an individual with an intellectual disability; Quentin, a suicidal student; and Jason, a failed businessman. The fourth section is narrated by an omniscient third-person narrator and focuses on Dilsey, the Compsons' black servant.
The novel's narrative style has been described as a stream of consciousness, influenced by the works of James Joyce. This style is particularly evident in Benjy's chapter, where his disability affects his sense of time, resulting in a blending of past and present events in his narration. Faulkner experimented with punctuation in this chapter, initially using italics to indicate time shifts before opting for line breaks.
The second section, narrated by Quentin, explores his love for the South and his internal conflict, ultimately leading to his suicide. This section also fleshes out the character of Caddy, Quentin's sister, who is central to the novel despite not having her own point of view.
Jason's section, the third, is more straightforward and linear. It chronicles his present activities and interactions, with a focal point on his niece, Miss Quentin, and their complex dynamic.
The fourth section, narrated by an omniscient narrator, provides an outside perspective on the Compson family and their servant, Dilsey. It begins two days after Jason's section and focuses on Dilsey's daily chores, interactions, and her attendance at an Easter service, where she is moved by the sermon.
The novel's structure has been compared to Beethoven's Eroica by critic Victor Strandberg, who suggests that the first and fourth sections are heroic, the second is a funeral march, and the third is a satirical scherzo.
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Faulkner's inspiration and influences
The American author William Faulkner drew inspiration from his life and the people around him while writing his fourth novel, "The Sound and the Fury". The novel, published in 1929, was not an immediate success. However, Faulkner's sixth novel, "Sanctuary", published in 1931, brought commercial success to "The Sound and the Fury", and Faulkner began to receive critical attention.
Faulkner's family inspired several aspects of the novel. For instance, the death of Faulkner's maternal grandmother, whom he called "Damuddy", is reflected in the novel through the death of Quentin Compson's grandmother. Faulkner also drew on his experience of living with his two brothers and female cousin, Sallie. The character of Benjy, the "idiot", in the novel, is narrated from the perspective of a person with an intellectual disability, and Faulkner's portrayal of Benjy may have been influenced by a man he knew in Oxford, Mississippi, named Edwin Chandler, who had an intellectual disability and was known for running behind a fence.
Faulkner's childhood love, Estelle Oldham, may have also influenced the novel. When she married another man, Faulkner took his mind off her by visiting his friend, Phil Stone, in New Haven, Connecticut. This trip inspired Quentin's experiences at Harvard and his relationship with his roommate, Shreve, who was based on a friend of Stone's named Stephen Benet. Additionally, the Compson family's servant, Dilsey, was modelled after Caroline Barr, the Faulkner family's servant.
Faulkner's "Yoknapatawpha novels", including "The Sound and the Fury", are set in Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a fictional locale inspired by Faulkner's hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, and the surrounding area. Faulkner was particularly interested in exploring the decline of the Deep South after the Civil War, and the deterioration of the Southern aristocracy.
Faulkner's stream-of-consciousness writing style was influenced by James Joyce, and he also drew inspiration from Ernest Hemingway, borrowing language from Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" to describe Benjy's castration. The plot and narrative style of "The Sound and the Fury" also bear strong resemblances to "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather. Faulkner also drew on his earlier short stories, such as "The Kingdom of God", which features a mentally disabled character, and "That Evening Sun" and "A Justice", which both include the character of Quentin Compson.
Finally, Faulkner acknowledged the influence of several writers throughout his career, including Twain, Dreiser, Anderson, Keats, Dickens, Conrad, Balzac, Bergson, and Cervantes. However, he consistently mentioned William Shakespeare as a constant and continuing influence. The title of "The Sound and the Fury" is borrowed from a soliloquy in Shakespeare's "Macbeth", and the novel's opening chapters also contain allusions to the same passage.
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The Compson family
The Compsons are a once-prominent Southern family from Mississippi, specifically Yoknapatawpha County, who fell on hard times in the twentieth century. They are said to be "coming from a line of very successful people" and were once a prosperous white family living in Jefferson, Mississippi. The family's genealogy is traced from 1699 to 1945, with Faulkner himself drawing inspiration from his own family's decline since the time of his great-grandfather, who was a colonel.
The Sound and the Fury details the destruction and downfall of the aristocratic Compson family from four different points of view. The first three sections are presented from the perspectives of the three Compson sons: Benjamin ("Benjy"), the developmentally disabled youngest son; Quentin, the suicidal student and eldest son; and Jason, the failed businessman. The fourth section has a third-person omniscient narrator.
The narrative of The Sound and the Fury unfolds through these four distinct perspectives, reflecting the family's tragic decline and the impact of time on their lives. Benjy's narrative, which opens on April 7, 1928, is notoriously difficult to read due to his intellectual disability, which affects his ability to speak and reason, and distorts his sense of time. Quentin's narrative, set on June 2, 1910, is told through his mind as he struggles with his sister Caddy's sexuality and ultimately succumbs to despair, culminating in his decision to take his own life. Jason's narrative, set on April 6, 1928, is straightforward and linear, chronicling his present activities and interactions. He grapples with his family's financial woes and holds harsh views, making disparaging remarks about Jews, African Americans, women, and his own family.
The story closes with the perspective of Dilsey, the Compsons' devoted elderly African American maid, who provides a contrasting sense of resilience and continuity amidst the family's chaos.
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The character of Benjy
The Sound and the Fury, written by William Faulkner, introduces readers to the Compson family through the perspective of Benjy, a 33-year-old nonverbal invalid with an intellectual disability. Benjy, born Maury and also referred to as an "idiot" or "looney," has a distorted sense of time, experiencing all events as if they are occurring in the present. This unique perception of time is reflected in the narrative structure of his chapter, where the past is separated with italics to indicate shifts in time. Benjy communicates through moaning and crying, and his thoughts are often interrupted by the comments of Luster, his 14-year-old attendant.
Benjy's character is central to the novel's exploration of the decline of the aristocratic Compson family. Despite his disability, he is the closest to understanding the truth about his family's downfall, yet he cannot verbalize it due to his inability to speak. This limitation serves as a metaphor for the insufficiency of verbal communication, a theme Faulkner explores throughout the novel. Benjy's relationship with his sister, Caddy, is particularly significant as she is the only one who cares for him and provides him with a sense of safety and security.
The choice of Benjy as the introductory narrator blurs the boundaries between reader and character, words and sounds, and present and past. Faulkner intentionally selected an incoherent yet objective and insightful narrator to introduce the Compson family, creating a sense of confusion and disorientation for the reader. This narrative technique challenges the notion of ideal communication and showcases the failure to convey an ultimate truth.
Benjy's section in the novel opens on April 7, 1928, coinciding with the date of Easter in that year. This date is significant as it sets the tone for the moral failings of the Compson family, contrasted with the promises of strength and renewal presented in the Easter service attended by Dilsey, the family's maid. Benjy's experiences bookend the novel, with the final chapter ending on a focus on him.
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The novel's themes
The Sound and the Fury, written by William Faulkner and published in 1929, is a novel that explores several themes through its narrative structure and character development. Here is a detailed look at some of the novel's central themes:
The Decline of the South and the Compson Family
The Compson family, once a wealthy, slave-owning aristocratic family in the South, has fallen into disrepair. This decline mirrors the broader theme of the disintegration of the Old South in the post-Civil War era. The family's world becomes increasingly smaller as they sell off their land, their buildings fall into disrepair, and the next generation escapes. This theme is reflected in the character of Quentin, who is haunted by the decay of his family and struggles with the traditional Southern code of honour.
Time and Memory
The concept of time is central to the novel, with the narrative structure jumping between different time periods and the perspectives of four different narrators. Benjy, the first narrator, has an intellectual disability that affects his sense of time, experiencing all events as if they are occurring in the present. This unique narrative device allows Faulkner to explore the subjective nature of time and memory, as well as the challenges of communication and the elusive nature of truth.
Race and Class
The novel is set in Mississippi in the early 1900s, a time when slavery was a recent memory and African Americans continued to face discrimination and second-class citizenship. The Compson family has black live-in servants who are essentially slaves, highlighting the racial and class dynamics of the post-Civil War South.
Language and Communication
Faulkner's innovative use of language, including his stream-of-consciousness style, reflects the inner struggles of the narrators as they try to make sense of their world. The novel also explores the limitations of language in conveying absolute truth or meaning, as each narrator's perspective is subjective and incomplete.
Sexuality and Sin
The character of Caddy, the Compson daughter, challenges traditional Southern notions of sexuality and chastity. Her sexual activity at an early age is seen as transgressive and symbolic of the breakdown of societal norms.
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Frequently asked questions
The novel 'The Sound and the Fury' was written by William Faulkner.
Faulkner wrote 'The Sound and the Fury' in the late 1920s, and it was published in 1929.
Faulkner drew inspiration from his own life, including his family history and experiences. He was also inspired by the works of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and Willa Cather.
'The Sound and the Fury' tells the story of the Compson family, specifically focusing on the characters of Benjy, a man with an intellectual disability, and his sister Caddy. The novel explores themes of time, loss, and the disintegration of familial bonds.
