Second Book of Sound and Fury Analysis
- Submitted by: danibr
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- Category: English: Novels
- Date Submitted: 04/02/2014 04:48 PM
- Pages: 3
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In Quentin’s chapter of The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner introduces Quentin to four unfamiliar children, three young, boisterous fishers and a helpless Italian girl, who symbolize the Compson children to reveal Quentin’s attitude towards his own relationships with his siblings and himself.
The three boys speak amongst each other, which while not happening in reality between the Compson brothers, occurs in context of the novel, as each has his own chapter. The second boy, like Jason, has a fondness for money, claiming he would “take the money instead… [of] the rod” (74). He argues stubbornly with the first boy in the same fashion as Quentin argued with Jason in their youth. The first boy, who symbolizes Quentin, shares a desire to take his own path from the other boys; the boy want to go “to the Eddy for chub” (77) , while Quentin wanted to go to Harvard for an education. While the resent Jason has for Quentin wasting his family’s money on an education is not retorted directly, the boy symbolizing Quentin remarks “You’re not tied to me” (77), exposing Quentin’s independence from the rest of his family. As Quentin wishes the boys luck with their challenge, the boy who mirrors him responds “Cant anybody catch that fish.”(76) Catching the fish equates to happiness for the boys, but the first boy’s impression that doing so is impossible illuminates Quentin’s own stoic incredulity in regards to achieving satisfaction.
Upon entering the bakery, Quentin encounters a “little dirty child” (79) who he calls
“sister,” a blunt allusion to Caddy (79). Quentin’s disgust with the child’s outer appearance mirrors Quentin’s disparaging view of his true sister’s promiscuity. As with Caddy in context of the novel, the little girl “said nothing;” (82) furthermore, just as the Italian girl does not speak to Quentin: Caddy, likewise, does not answer all of Quentin’s pestering questions in regards to her own life. In both situations Quentin remains persistent, trying...
The three boys speak amongst each other, which while not happening in reality between the Compson brothers, occurs in context of the novel, as each has his own chapter. The second boy, like Jason, has a fondness for money, claiming he would “take the money instead… [of] the rod” (74). He argues stubbornly with the first boy in the same fashion as Quentin argued with Jason in their youth. The first boy, who symbolizes Quentin, shares a desire to take his own path from the other boys; the boy want to go “to the Eddy for chub” (77) , while Quentin wanted to go to Harvard for an education. While the resent Jason has for Quentin wasting his family’s money on an education is not retorted directly, the boy symbolizing Quentin remarks “You’re not tied to me” (77), exposing Quentin’s independence from the rest of his family. As Quentin wishes the boys luck with their challenge, the boy who mirrors him responds “Cant anybody catch that fish.”(76) Catching the fish equates to happiness for the boys, but the first boy’s impression that doing so is impossible illuminates Quentin’s own stoic incredulity in regards to achieving satisfaction.
Upon entering the bakery, Quentin encounters a “little dirty child” (79) who he calls
“sister,” a blunt allusion to Caddy (79). Quentin’s disgust with the child’s outer appearance mirrors Quentin’s disparaging view of his true sister’s promiscuity. As with Caddy in context of the novel, the little girl “said nothing;” (82) furthermore, just as the Italian girl does not speak to Quentin: Caddy, likewise, does not answer all of Quentin’s pestering questions in regards to her own life. In both situations Quentin remains persistent, trying...