The Sound and the Fury Analytical

A detailed Summary of The Sound and the Fury Analytical

Faulkner's novel, The Sound and the Fury, shows the decline of a well-established and well-known southern aristocratic family. The novel's main focuses are the moral decay of the Compson family and time (not letting go of the past). Throughout the novel we see how the values of the Compson family, which represents the old south, being erased as time moves on. The Compson's unwillingness to change with their surroundings and it ultimately destroys their family.

In the novel the Compson's represent the old south. The Compson's are an old white southern aristocratic family living in Mississippi. Faulkner uses this family to illustrate the old traditions of southern culture and how time was corrupting the morals of the entire south. We see the decay of the south in the novels characters and their actions. Mr. Compson is an alcoholic. He over the years has become very cynical and believes all the old values of the south like purity are "hogwash". Mrs. Compson has become so self absorbed that she forgets she has a responsibility to raise children. She is not seen in the book as the traditional souther

Faulkner best uses time and the Compson family's, the old south's, unwillingness to move on in Quentin's narrative. Faulkner constantly refers to watches and clocks in Quentin's narrative. The ticking of his watch and the ringing of bells constantly remind him of time. In one part of Quentin's story he breaks the glass face of the old watch his father gave him on the dresser. Though the encasement around it has been destroyed, it keeps ticking. Time never ceases. Like the case, shattered and broken, so is the Compson family and ultimately the Southern aristocratic class. This scene signifies the destruction of old ideas. In another part of Quentin's tale he enters into a clock repair shop. He asked the man at the counter if the clocks in the store are correct but refuses to know what time it is. Again we can see Quentin is tormented by time. This part of his story represents the old south's acknowledgement of time. They see and understand that it is moving forward but refuse to move with it.

being mentally deficient, has no sense of time whatsoever. His life to him has been one long day. Ben

Some common words found in the essay are:
Faulkner Compson, Faulkner Quentin, Sound Fury, Mississippi Faulkner, Dilsey Compson's, compson family, southern aristocratic, Benjy Faulkner, , southern aristocratic family, quentin's narrative, aristocratic family, unwillingness change, story benjy, day benjy, mentally deficient,

Approximate Word count = 749
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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