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The Sound and the Fury Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Sound and the Fury


One of William Faulkner's greatest works. This story follows a rich white family in rural Mississippi. Jason is the jerk of the family, only concerned with money, Caddy is is his sister who embarrasses the family by running off with a Yankee who leaves her with a kid, their brother, who commits suicide after going to college, and Benji, who is retarded.
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The review of this Book prepared by sayruh




Three members of the once-prominent Compson family -- 33-year-old mentally retarded Benjy, oldest brother Quentin, and middle brother Jason -- relate events in the lives of their deteriorating family, especially their wild and unhappy sister Candace ("Caddy") and her daughter Quentin. The male Quentin, tormented by his sister's promiscuity and desirability, committed suicide his freshman year at Harvard in 1910, and Caddy's daughter (his namesake) would turn out much like her, stealing from her uncle Jason and running around town with an older man. An omniscient narrator relates the closing events in April 1928, when the black housekeeper Dilsey takes Benjy and her grandson Luster to church. Faulkner's first masterpiece portrays the collapse of the South in the guise of one family, from various points of view, starting with simple-minded and unconnected yet totally honest Benjy. The title comes, of course, from Macbeth: "Life ... is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing."
The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus



Chapter Analysis of The Sound and the Fury

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Plot & Themes

Tone of book?    -   depressed Time/era of story    -   1600-1899 Ethnic/Regional/Religion    -   American South Other aspects:    -   story of "the rich" Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Loss of...    -   brother/sisters Ethnic/regional/gender life    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   wealthy Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White (American) Unusual characteristics:    -   Extremely cynical or arrogant

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   4 () United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast    -   Deep South Small town?    -   Yes Small town people:    -   nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee    -   very gullible, like Gomer Pyle

Writing Style

Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only Amount of dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Sound and the Fury

William Faulkner Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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