The Sound And The Fury Analysis

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The old saying “The South never dies” appears to be all but accurate in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. Each member of the Compson Family is practically a contrary of old southern ideals and beliefs. Caddy’s promiscuity, Benjy’s mental disability, Jason’s vulgar attitude towards his family, Quentin’s crooked obsession with Caddy, Ms. Quentin’s rebellious attitude due to her own upbringing, and Mrs. Compson’s ability to see her children as punishments from God; they all diverge from an idyllic well-ordered Southern family. Mr. Compson was the only member who managed to held on to his Southern Morality for the most part, only straying from the norm after the death of his son, Quentin. Each character in their own way depicts how old Southern ideals of gentility have begun and continue to dissolve. While it may be the underlying reason as to why the principles of the South emerged, it is not enough to think of the South as just a physical setting; when discussing the South one, whether it is inadvertently or not, has the ideals and stereotypes in mind of the old South. Many people do in fact view the South as more of a set of labels and perceptions of that area’s customs rather than as a geographical location. The old South includes much more than just general ideals and simple stereotypes; there is much more to the culture of the South than what can be grouped with those words. The upper classes generally exhibited loyalty and expressed greatly refined manners. The men were painted to be poised, chivalrous and hardworking while the women were expected to be gentile and proper. The South has certainly transcended in its own way to become more of a lifestyle than simply a geographical location. The reader never is able to... ... middle of paper ... ...pair, and victory is only an illusion of philosophers and fools.” (Faulkner. 48) Perhaps Mr. Compson knew that this too was a battle that they could not win but perhaps prolong. With Mr. Compson dead, Mrs. Compson is left as the symbol of the Compson house, which in fact ends up being sadly accurate. The house, the family name, and the values she and her husband tried to instill into their children are all crumbling beneath themselves. “Faulkner’s title echoes the most famous protest against a life without a climax. But Macbeth, by finding his resolving action, diverts his drama from the idiotic tomorrows signifying nothing.” (Warwick Wadlington. 4) Just like Macbeth from which the title originates, the family will turn to nothing and continue to live on no longer without so much as a whimper; taking with it the ideals, values, customs, and culture of the old South.

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