The Sound and the Fury

How is Caddy’s sexual awakening characterized by the other members of the Compson family? Why might this be so central to the novel? How does Caddy view her own sexual nature?

Why include Benjy’s narrative? What does his perspective add to the story of a family in decline? How does his inability to communicate impact his narrative and the ways in which the others perceive him?

How does Faulkner’s use of stream of consciousness narration from the point of view of three different characters impact the thematic concerns of the book? Why does he employ omniscient narration for the final section?

How does Quentin’s narrative illuminate his position in the family? How does it indicate his connection to his heritage and history? To what does he owe his despair, ultimately?

How is Jason different from his siblings? How is he alike, if at all? What characterizes his narrative or illuminates his central concern?

Is the decline of the Compson family inevitable? Why or why not?

How do the Black characters in the novel illuminate thematic concerns? What is their relationship to the Compson family? What is their relationship to the society of the time?

While The Sound and the Fury follows the trajectory of a single family in the South, how does it also refer to larger socio-historical events and cultural changes occurring in the early 20th century?