Critical Approaches to The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner

The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner was published in 1929. The story centers around the Compson family as it begins to deteriorate and fall into obscurity. The family follows three members of the family and their housekeeper as the family slowly implodes on itself until they are left penniless and devoid of any good reputation.

• (biographical) An easy connection to make is to Faulkner's own life. He grew up in the South in the late 19th century and also attended Oxford, settings appear frequently in his novels. This idea of the Old South aristocracy and the reverberations of the Civil War on the Old South are largely explored in the novel and played out in real time in his own life.
• (feminist) One of the central characters to the book is Caddy Compson, the sister and mother figure for most of the family. She is integral to the decay of the family's reputation and both her and her daughter are both key players in the family's fall. They are portrayed as promiscuous and irresponsible. Quentin, her brother, also attempts to take it upon himself to protect her, for which he fails.
• (source studies) The title of the book is derived from the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. When one looks at the actual soliloquy from which the title comes from, you can see that many of the themes in the novel are also reflected in the passage. More themes can be explored when the piece is seen in conjunction with the novel.
• (critical race theory) One of Faulkner's most interesting characters is Dilsey, the black housekeeper for the Compson family. Her perspective comes last and is perhaps the clearest of them all. Her position in a Southern family should lend her very little respect in the family, and yet she is the primary caregiver for most of the children and is respected by nearly all of the characters. This inversion of the expectation for her position and race can serve as an interesting perspective and launching point.