Review: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner

Ever picked up a book and immediately felt like you were dropped into a chaotic, emotional whirlwind with no map and no seatbelt? That’s The Sound and the Fury for you—Faulkner doesn’t just tell a story; he throws you straight into the storm. First published in 1929, this novel is widely hailed as one of the greatest works in American literature, and trust me, it’s not light reading. But if you stick with it, you’ll discover a deeply moving, brilliantly crafted portrait of a family falling apart—and what that says about the world around them.

Table of Contents

Plot Summary 

The novel centers on the Compsons, a once-aristocratic Southern family in decline, living in Mississippi. The story is told through the eyes (and minds) of three brothers—Benjy, Quentin, and Jason—and finally through a third-person narration that follows the family’s servant, Dilsey.

• Benjy, who has an intellectual disability, experiences the world through pure sensation and memory. His section is emotionally raw and jumps back and forth in time without warning. Confusing? Yep. But also incredibly powerful.
  
• Quentin, the tortured intellectual, is obsessed with his sister Caddy and the idea of Southern honour. His section reads like a fever dream—and ends in tragedy.
  
• Jason, the bitter cynic, represents the ugliest parts of the old South. His narration is aggressive, petty, and often cruel.
  
• Dilsey, the only truly stable and moral character in the book, brings a much-needed sense of clarity and grace in the final section.
  

Together, these voices paint a heartbreaking portrait of decay—not just of a family, but of an entire cultural legacy.

Themes: Time, Memory, and Southern Gloom

One of the most fascinating things about The Sound and the Fury is its obsession with time. Each character experiences time differently. Faulkner uses this fragmented sense of time to show how memory and personal trauma can distort reality.

It’s not just storytelling—it’s emotional archaeology. This novel is rich with complex ideas, but here are the key ones you definitely want to know about:

The Decline of the Southern Aristocracy

At its core, the novel is about a family—and by extension, a culture—falling apart. The Compsons were once a proud Southern family, but by the time we meet them, their legacy is basically in shambles. Faulkner uses their downfall to symbolize the collapse of traditional Southern values after the Civil War.

Think: faded mansions, broken dreams, and a desperate attempt to cling to “the way things used to be.” It’s not just a family drama—it’s a commentary on the death of a whole cultural identity.

Time and Memory

Faulkner doesn’t treat time like a straight line—it’s more like a looping, spiraling mess. Each character experiences time differently:

• Benjy lives in a constant present, with memories bleeding into the moment.
  
• Quentin is haunted by the past and can’t escape it.
  
• Jason is obsessed with the future and money.
  
• Dilsey is the only one grounded in reality and faith, moving forward with dignity.
  

The theme of time shows how trauma, loss, and memory distort reality. It’s one of the most powerful—and confusing—parts of the book.

Loss and Grief

Every character in this novel is grieving something—whether it’s lost innocence, lost family, or lost honour. Caddy’s fall from grace devastates her brothers in completely different ways. The novel is soaked in a sense of mourning—not just for people, but for ideals, traditions, and an entire way of life.

Identity and the Fragmented Self

Faulkner dives deep into the psyche of each narrator, showing how fractured and unstable identity can be:

• Benjy has no clear sense of self.
  
• Quentin’s identity is tied up in outdated ideals of honor and purity.
  
• Jason is full of bitterness and self-hatred.
  
• Dilsey’s identity is the most intact, shaped by resilience and faith.
  

Each character shows how identity can be shaped—or broken—by history, trauma, and social expectations.

Gender and Purity

The entire plot is set in motion by Caddy’s sexual independence—and her brothers’ inability to cope with it. The obsession with her “purity” (especially Quentin’s) shows how women’s worth was often tied to virtue, and how destructive those expectations can be.

Caddy, who doesn’t get her own chapter, is ironically the most important character in the book. Everyone’s life revolves around her choices.

Race and Social Hierarchy

Though the Compsons are falling apart, they still rely on their Black servant Dilsey to hold everything together. Faulkner subtly critiques the racial dynamics of the South—Dilsey is the only character with real strength and moral clarity. Whilst the Compsons disintegrate, she endures. That contrast says a lot about who truly bears the weight of Southern history.

Religion and Redemption

Dilsey’s quiet, unwavering faith contrasts sharply with the moral chaos around her. In a world full of despair and decay, she represents spiritual endurance and hope. Faulkner doesn’t offer easy redemption for the Compsons, but he leaves a small light shining through Dilsey’s strength and dignity.

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Style: Buckle Up, It’s a Wild Ride

Let’s not sugarcoat it: this book is hard to read. The writing is experimental, the structure is fragmented, and Faulkner doesn’t hold your hand. In fact, the first time you read Benjy’s section, you might think you accidentally skipped a few pages or dropped the book in a blender.

But here’s the thing—there’s a method to the madness. Faulkner’s stream-of-consciousness style isn’t just literary showing off; it’s a way to get inside the heads of these deeply broken people. Once you tune into each character’s rhythm, the story hits harder than a Mississippi thunderstorm.

Why It Still Matters Today

Even nearly a century after it was written, The Sound and the Fury feels eerily relevant. It asks big questions about identity, morality, loss, and what it means to be human. Plus, its bold narrative techniques paved the way for generations of experimental writers. Faulkner wasn’t just ahead of his time—he was operating on a whole different clock.

If you’re into books that challenge you, make you uncomfortable, and leave you thinking long after you’ve put them down, this one’s a must.

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Conclusion

Reading The Sound and the Fury is like stepping into someone else’s mind—messy, painful, confusing, and real. It’s not an easy read (seriously, keep a guide handy your first time), but it’s absolutely worth the effort. Faulkner pulls no punches, and what you’re left with is a haunting portrait of a family—and a culture—falling apart at the seams.

This book won’t just sit quietly on your shelf. It’ll crawl into your brain and stay there.

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