I am so glad we had this seminar today! It put so many things that were just seeming like "sound and fury" to me, into place. Speaking of which, I absolutely LOVED the comment Truman made discussing how the "sound", in "The Sound and Fury", related to Benjy's relentless moaning for Caddy, and the "fury" is Jason's reactions to the events. Another comment I thought was clever was the one about the true power in the family. After reading the whole book, one might still think the power remains in the hands of Jason, but really the main figure here is Dilsey. She is the one who is trying her best to keep the family from suspending even further down the rabbit hole. One may automatically assume all the power resolves in Jason, but it is his drastic reactions that stand out to the reader- only leaving them to assume the phrase, "actions speak louder than words", to be true in this case. Jason's drastic measures to take care of the family boil down to the benefit of himself, making the draining noise contributing to the sound and fury, distracting the reader from the true position of power: Dilsey. Overall, this novel took me out of my reading comfort zone...at times it was hard to read and constantly frustrating me due to the abstract the structure of the text was. Despite the rough form of the text, this is what makes a good and even better writer: stepping into the uncomfortable and unknown.
Growing readers, such as us high school students, are what I like to calll, "butterfly catchers". Each time we read a new novel that is so abstract yet comphrensive like Faulkner's it is another story to weave in our reading journey. I imagine it as stepping out of a box to find yourself in a whole other world with butterflies and adventures you've never even seen before. As you continue to read, you find each butterfly encountered has a unique pattern; you study it, then let it go for others to capture. I have never read a book that was as frustrating yet astounding at the same time in a sense that Faulkner's was. Through out the whole novel, Faulkner was breaking boundaries in literature that I didn't know could be broken, therefore like a butterfly catcher seeing a completely new, unique insect for their collection they never knew existed.
excellent- and I really like your butterfly metaphor-
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "sound" of the sound and the Fury can be seen as Benjy moaning, and how the fury can relate to many of the characters anger and "fury". It also can relate to Macbeth's quote relating to the sound and the fury. I also agree that the main person holding the family together is Disley, that she is the "glue" that keeps the family from deteriorating. I also agree that the book was very frustrating, cuase it was, and it was really cool to interpret.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the seminar too and the idea that Truman brought up. It was a very clever point that cleared a lot of events in the book up. It also was a great connection between the book and the title that fit perfectly. I like the fact that you incorporate these points into your blog it is very helpful and clever
ReplyDeleteWow! Beautiful simile Mae. I agree that Faulkner's writing is "frustrating" yet "astounding!" I'd like to add that he is such a beautiful writer. When you think about the amount of content and context that was covered in this book, along with all of the connections and correlations that each character has, this novel was finely written. Although confusing, I think that this would be a great re-read and that every narration adds a new piece to the puzzle, which then makes the meaning more clear. That comment made by Truman was quite clever! Great points on how Dilsey compared to Jason is truly the more qualified and dignified leader of the Compson family.
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