The Sound and the Fury is indubitably one of Faulkner's best novels. The precision with which the novel is constructed, and the use of obstructionist narrative devices, make this a challenging text. This book was published in October 1929, and continues to astound readers today. As a novelist he exploits the flaws in the southern American family life very well, as well as concentrating on many other aspects of human life.

The book is divided into four sections, the first is narrated by Benjy, a thirty three year old retard, the second by Quentin a Harvard freshman who kills himself after the first year of university, and the third by Jason, a character created to represent the southern American man, and reflect on the tragic decline of the Compson family. The last section is told by Dilsey, the mother of the black family who have served the Compson's all their life.

'Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'.

This statement is full of cynicsm yet is surprisingly apt for Benjy's section, as he is an idiot, he 'bellers', never listened to, and his mind frame causes him excessive pain when no one else can understand why he feels like that. He has no sense of time and is emotionally troubled my familiar smells ands sights. It is in his mind that we get the first perspective of the Compson family decline.
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The section starts off in the present form with Luster, Benjy's caretaker throughout his adult life, is looking for a quarter to go to the circus. We are told that Benjy can see them 'hitting'. This word is used repeatedly and it is only till a few pages later that Faulkner reveals the Faulkner provides us with a confusing yet rewarding reading experience?

Having read and re-read the novel, like many before me came to the conclusion that it is one of the very best novels written by an American author. It was Faulkner's groundbreaking novel, written ...

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