The Sound and the Fury

Definition

The Sound and the Fury is a novel by William Faulkner that employs multiple perspectives and an innovative narrative style to explore the decline of the Compson family. This complex narrative structure allows for conflicting accounts and unreliable narrators, making the reader question the truth behind each character's perspective, which mirrors the chaos of their lives and the fragmentation of Southern society.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The novel is divided into four sections, each told from different characters' viewpoints, emphasizing their individual perceptions and biases.
2. The first section is narrated by Benjy Compson, a mentally disabled character, whose fragmented thoughts challenge readers to piece together events.
3. The second section follows Quentin Compson on a single day in 1910, showcasing his inner turmoil through stream of consciousness and flashbacks.
4. The third section shifts to Jason Compson, revealing his cynical worldview and manipulation of family members for personal gain.
5. The final section offers a more objective view of the family's decline through a third-person omniscient narrator, contrasting with the earlier subjective accounts.

Review Questions

• How does Faulkner's use of multiple perspectives in The Sound and the Fury affect the reader's understanding of truth within the story?
  • Faulkner’s use of multiple perspectives creates a layered narrative that challenges readers to sift through conflicting accounts. Each character provides their own version of events, often influenced by their biases and personal struggles. This approach not only complicates the notion of objective truth but also reflects the disintegration of the Compson family and Southern society as a whole, urging readers to question what they accept as reality.
• Discuss how Benjy's narration in The Sound and the Fury exemplifies the concept of unreliable narration and its impact on storytelling.
  • Benjy's narration serves as a prime example of unreliable narration due to his mental condition and fragmented thought process. His perception of time is nonlinear, jumping between past and present without clear transitions. This disorientation invites readers to engage actively with the text as they attempt to construct meaning from his chaotic memories, ultimately highlighting themes of memory, loss, and familial disintegration.
• Evaluate the significance of fragmentation in The Sound and the Fury and how it mirrors the broader societal changes in early 20th-century America.
  • Fragmentation in The Sound and the Fury reflects both personal chaos within the Compson family and broader societal shifts during early 20th-century America. The disjointed narrative structure symbolizes the crumbling values of Southern aristocracy amidst modernity. By employing this technique, Faulkner captures a world in turmoil, illustrating how personal struggles echo larger cultural transformations as traditional social orders begin to unravel.

Related terms

Stream of Consciousness: A narrative technique that attempts to capture the flow of thoughts and feelings in a character's mind, often leading to fragmented and nonlinear storytelling.

Unreliable Narrator: A narrator whose credibility is compromised, leading to distorted or biased accounts of events, requiring readers to actively interpret the story.

Fragmentation: A literary technique characterized by disjointed or broken narrative structure, often reflecting chaotic or complex themes in a work.