The Sound And The Fury Essay
2 likes61 views
The document analyzes William Faulkner's novel 'The Sound and the Fury', focusing on its literary devices and symbolism, particularly the clock and the character Dilsey, who embodies selflessness and care. It discusses the Compson family's decline, the changing societal roles of men and women, and the impact of appearances on family dynamics, especially through the character of Mrs. Compson. Additionally, it critiques Faulkner's narrative style and character development, highlighting Caddy Compson's struggle against her family's expectations.
The Sound And The Fury Essay
- 1. The Sound and the Fury "The Sound and the Fury" is a novel full of literary devices used to portray the crazy lives of the Compson family. Symbolism is used heavily throughout, and helps to explain what goes through each character's mind as they trudge through many life experiences. The two symbols that stuck out the most would have to be the clock symbolizing time, and Dilsey symbolizing Jesus. As the clock ticks, days come and go and time passes by. On Earth, every society revolves around clocks whether it be at work or at school. Each day of our lives we have somewhere to be or something to do at a certain time. Just think about it, without clocks there would not be a past or future, everything would be in the present. Quentin quotes, "Because...show more content... Work would not be such a dreadful thing if there wasn't a certain time you had to arrive and leave everyday. Studies have shown that the most productive and happy people are the ones that do not have a certain work schedule. As long as they get their work done, either in the workplace or at home, everything runs smoothly. However, most businesses have a certain number of hours each employee is required to work and those must be followed to the point. This makes it so much harder to look forward to going to work, unless you are totally passionate about what you do. Speaking of being passionate, Dilsey has a grueling job and has everything it takes to be successful at it. Selfless, caring, and protecting are three character traits that Dilsey has acquired throughout her lifetime. Dilsey is the caregiver and the maid for the Compson family; without her, the family would have fallen apart. One of Dilsey's main jobs while working for this family is to care for Benjy, who suffers from mental retardation. This can be an extremely trying task, but Dilsey handles it very well. Dilsey symbolizes many good things, but the first that comes to mind is Jesus. The first word that comes to mind when comparing the two is servant. Matthew 23:11 says, "The greatest among you shall be your servant." While Jesus was the greatest among all of the disciples, Dilsey was the greatest among the Compsons. Both Dilsey and Jesus Get more content on HelpWriting.net
- 2. The Sound and The Fury Essay The Sound and the Fury This novel revolves around the rise and the fall of the aristocratic 19th century Southern Compsons that advocated conventional Southern values. In that dynamism and the muting family norms, the rival upsurge was the changing role of men and women. This is true, as men used to enjoy their authority, dominance, power, masculinity, valiancy, virtuous strength, determination, and courtliness over women and in the society while the role played by the women was similar to putting a showpiece in the form of feminine purity, elegance, and chastity. Women's role was subjected to mere child bearing and continuing the family name.1 Nevertheless, the change came, and the Reconstruction of the civil values after the Civil War...show more content... With respect to Caddy, she remained and retained the conception of feminine innocence by showing the ability to love and be loved. However, this quality of hers owned her disownment. In the end, the only true part played was that by Dilsey that depicted true love devoid of any confusion and past clutches of family values. In order to compare Caroline Compson and Dilsey as mother figures, we must analyze that Compson cared more for appearances than for reality. Her obsession with sounds and appearance greatly altered the life of her children. She shifted her responsibilities as a mother onto the black housekeeper Dilsey, because she was unable to handle the appearance of her own family. Mrs. Compson felt a great burden placed upon her life after the birth of her fourth child Benjy. At birth Benjy appeared normal, though he never fully mentally developed. When Mrs. Compson learned of her sons disability her entire life shattered. She wondered how anyone could accept her or her son now. The mother's obsession with sound and appearances led to the following, "Reckon Maury going to let me cry on him a while, too. His name is Benjy now, Caddy said. How come it is, Dilsey said. He aint wore out the name he was born with yet, is he. Benjamin came out of the bible, Caddy said. It's a better name for him than Maury was."1 Mrs. Compson felt that Benjy did not Get more content on HelpWriting.net
- 3. The Sound And The Fury A disclaimer to start an essay isn't too formal, neither is my writing. After several hours of listening and trying to decipher William Faulkner's work "The Sound and the Fury", one experiences an epiphany that he cannot read. The determined also known as the student has to continue on the quest to fulfill his high school education though. Caddy Compson, the most important character in The Sound and the Fury, is rather rare in that both in writing and in the book. It's rather abnormal for a writer never to share the central character's thoughts or views on... anything, and this is exactly what occurs in Faulkner's work. Caddy only appears in flashbacks told by her brothers, perhaps the three most unreliable narrators one has ever seen. The...show more content... None of them realize that part of the problem was that they were forcing her to be something she wasn't. At the same time though, it is hard to tell if her brothers entirely forced her into those roles. We see through Benjy's memories Caddy as the strong willed little girl who wanted to be in charge of her brothers and who broke the rules without fear of punishment. From childhood she insinuated herself into the role of her brothers' controller. That desire, in the end, only made them the controllers of her destiny. Her declaration that she be in charge of the three boys during her grandmother's funeral is almost as dooming as her dirtying her drawers in the mud, foreshadowing her impurity. In the end, Caddy rebels violently against her brothers' expectations of her. Desite the love and affection she feels for Benjy and Quentin, she acts out with her sexuality (despite promising Benjy she wouldn't after an early encounter), which confuses Benjy and frustrates Quentin (for so many reasons). The only one she doesn't overtly and intentionally act out against is Jason, who hates her the most for her actions. He loses a potential job because Caddy's husband finds out their daughter is not his. Jason loses a chance at a job (which he never would have had if Caddy hadn't needed to marry Herbert Head in the first place) because Caddy was actually trying to fix the mess she had made. Jason has the least cause to detest his sister, but he hates her Get more content on HelpWriting.net
- 4. The Sound and the Fury Essay The Sound and the Fury: Chronology of Despair Three little boys watch wearily and fearfully as their sister shimmies quickly up a tree to peer through the window of a dilapidated Southern farmhouse. Our attention focuses neither on her reaction to the festivities commencing in the house, nor on the danger suspended nervously in the dusky air as the tiny image worms up the tree trunk. Sensing the distress apparent in the boys' words and actions, our eyes rivet to the same thing that fills their faces with apprehension–the dark and muddied stain of filth firmly planted on the bottom of the little girl's underpants. This scene from William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury illustrates Faulkner's incredible talent for storytelling...show more content... Scholarship exploring the deepening abyss of meaning and interpretation in The Sound and the Fury presents itself often, each time casting a different light on a different aspect of the novel. Criticism ranging from Faulkner's style and inventive use of dialogue, to Quentin's seemingly perverse adoration of his sister encircles Faulkner's masterpiece in hopes that one small stone will be found unturned. This history of scholarship has paved a golden path leading to some of Faulkner's most intriguing stylistic devices and intricate character and plot analysis. Faulkner's inventive prose style is the subject of much scholarly criticism. In Stephen Ross' essay, "The 'Loud World' of Quentin Compson," Ross examines Quentin's control of language in regards to his speech and thought patterns and how Faulkner portrays them on the written page. Citing CoreyWall's identification of Quentin's three voices or modes of speech, Ross proposes that Quentin's actual oral spoken word presents itself in coherent and punctuated verse. While sliding into his stream of consciousness, his thoughts become elliptical and unpunctuated. His complete descent into the voice of the unconscious transfers to the page in italics. Quentin's manipulation of language spills over into his desire for manipulation of actual fact. Moving away from the style of Faulkner's written word, the order and method in which the story unravels is Get more content on HelpWriting.net