Oh the Irony

Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury was written after a period of intense depression in Faulkner's life. After receiving harsh criticism on his novel, Flags in the Dust, he fell into a period of deep depression and loneliness. However, Faulkner was able to benefit greatly from this dark time in his life. He came out of it with a new sense of freedom, freedom from the press and the publishers. Faulkner remembered thinking to himself, “'I wont have to worry about publishers liking or not liking this at all.'“ Thus, one failure had opened the gates to the possibility of great success, and Faulkner did not disappoint.

While writing and inventing the stories of the Compson children, Faulkner became extremely secretive from his own family. He would not discuss the novel until it was completed. Perhaps this is because he was in the process of writing an intense and innovative, yet regressive novel. According to David Minter, the novel has two defining qualities, a regressive and an innovative quality. It is innovative, for Faulkner, in its move towards “home, family, childhood, and the interior.” In his preceding novels, Faulkner did not deal with these aspects to such a degree displayed in The Sound and the Fury. Therefore, the novel is innovative in its unconventional structure and use of unordinary themes and content (for Faulkner). Its regressive element is evident in Faulkner's constant use of repetition and memory.

The understanding of Faulkner's mindset at the time of writing The Sound and the Fury provides some clarity for the reader. Faulkner wrote the novel with virtually no regard for anyone but himself. He wrote the novel for himself, by himself. It served as a rejection of critics and publishers as well as a turn towards true writing, for the purpose of just writing. The confusing structure and morbid themes are not so strange in retrospect. Faulkner wrote the novel in private, while recovering from depression and rejection. After reading the novel, I feel many questions are still unanswered. This makes much more sense, knowing the fact that Faulkner did not write the novel for me. He wrote it as a private novel for himself. Yes, he intended it to be published if possible, but in essence the novel was for his own benefit as a proclamation of freedom. Faulkner knows all the answers and that is all that mattered to him at the time. Pleasing the readers and publishers was not his goal. How ironic! (413)


Minter, David. Faulkner, Childhood, and the Making of The Sound and the Fury. American Literature Vol 51, No 3, 376-393. 1979: Duke University Press.

Section 2: More Confusion!

After reading section one of The Sound and The Fury, one would expect section two to be, at the very least, less-confusing. However, this assumption leads to disappointment and frustration. Section two does not provide the much-needed clarity, but rather confuses the situation even more. One event, however, is heavily dealt with. The reader learns much more about the details of Caddy’s marriage.

We learn that Caddy and Quentin are very close through their conversations and through the way Caddy talked about Quentin to Herbert. We learn that one of the children (or two) has committed incest. We learn that Caddy is “sick” and has “got to marry somebody.” We learn that Caddy does end up marrying Mr. Sydney Herbert Head, who one family member states has “spoiled us all to death.” Through dialogue between Quentin and Herbert, it becomes clear that Quentin does not like Herbert. This becomes even more clear when we find out, “Quentin has shot Herbert he shot his voice through the floor of Caddy’s room.” All of these facts are thrown at us. The piecing together of details has now become the reader’s job. (189)

Nessus at Noon- John Updike

I read "Nessus at Noon" by John Updike from The American Scholar. I enjoyed reading Updike's "A & P." His social commentary and themes of the importance of self and the ridiculousness of society's standards were perfectly mixed with a witty humor. Thus, I expected no less from "Nessus at Noon." Without reading a word, the story's unconventionality and uniqueness are obvious. The entire story is a conversation between a dry-cleaner and a customer. The story is short, witty, and to-the-point. I found it to have the same unique qualities as "A & P," with one exception.

In "Nessus at Noon," a customer receives his dry-cleaned shirt back with "Sorry, this is the best that can be done" attached as a note. The customer cannot walk away and continue wearing his shirt until he knows what about his shirt requires an apology. The dry-cleaner and the customer argue for some time until the dry-cleaner finally admits, "it's simply not you."

I will not be using "Nessus at Noon" for my short story paper. It was engaging, fun to read, entertaining, and concise. However, I can find only a few instances of a deeper meaning. For the most part, the story can be taken at face value. It can be appreciated for its creative story-line and clever humor. It lacks, however, a core theme or message, in my opinion. Therefore, it does not strike me as a prime choice for an interpretive essay! (242)