A Study in Faulkner: "The Sound and the Fury" and "Absalom! Absalom!"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and critiques William Faulkner's novels "The Sound and the Fury" and "Absalom! Absalom!". The author maintains that both novels share the same objective -- to demonstrate the way in which people perceive and interpret past events. Furthermore, both works forgo traditional, chronological writing, opting instead for stream of consciousness. The paper explains that these techniques, coupled with strong characterization, reveals not only the novels' major themes but also some of the smaller, underlying themes hidden within the pages.

From the Paper:

"As with many of Faulkner's writings, 'The Sound and the Fury' and 'Absalom! Absalom!' share the common prevailing theme of the destruction of the South or society post-Civil War. Another important theme, but only within 'The Sound and the Fury' is that of time, one's perception of time, and the affect of time. However, reading deeper into the novels reveals several other important if not prevalent themes. For instance the destruction of the family and of the self. The novels, though, are essentially one in the same despite the obvious differences such as the story being told differently or the use of different characters with the exception of Quentin. Furthermore, many of the events, as well as the characters, within 'The Sound and the Fury' are merely reflections of those present in 'Absalom! Absalom!'."

More papers on A Study in Faulkner: "The Sound and the Fury" and "Absalom! Absalom!":

• Book Review # 66178 : "A Study in Hysterics: "The Age of McCarthyism"
• Book Review # 148859 : "The family in William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury"
• Analytical Essay # 148413 : "Similarities Between Jason and the Female Quentin in The Sound and the Fury"

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