Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury: New Ideas or Common Belief?
Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury: New Ideas or Common Belief?
Written in 1929 by William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury is a work of art. The story is about the Compson's, a family deeply rooted in the South. The novel is told through four different points of view; Benjy, Quentin, Jason, and Dilsey. Dilsey Gibson and her family are the black servants to the Compson's. Many who read this believe Faulkner represents Dilsey as the strongest character throughout the book. Just as he makes Dilsey into the most moral character in the book, despite her being black, he makes just as many disparaging comments at her and her family's offense. In this novel, it can be disputed whether or not Faulkner is just submitting to the common beliefs of black people, rather than trying to raise the opinions of them.
"She had been a big woman once but now her skeleton rose...", when Faulkner describes Dilsey on this page he is representing all of what Dilsey has lost becoming a servant to the Compsons (Faulkner 265). Most may believe that this quote signifies a negative aspect, when actually it could be a symbol for hope. Although almost everything from Dilsey's life has been taken away from her she is still alive-not beaten. This is compared to Mrs. Compson. While Dilsey is a black woman, in a time where blacks were not considered real human beings, Mrs. Compson is from a once great Southern family. Despite Dilsey being in these conditions she continues to fight and live her life, caring for the Compson home and being a mother-like figure to the children. Mrs. Compson on the other hand must stay in bed because of her "headaches" and her constant "illnesses". In addition, Mrs. Compson does not care for Benjy, both physically and emotionally. She continuously refers to Benjy as "a judgment on me" (5). This is in contrast