Are words more than merely words? Words communicate thoughts, concepts, emotions, and within Faulkner’s, The Sound and the Fury, the use and repetition of words communicate much larger ideas outside of what the text itself merely communicates. The specific and meticulously thought-out word choice, as well as the number of times words are used within the novel are incredibly important. As already known, every comma, word, and type of syntax used has a vital purpose. This depth of detail within Faulkern’s writing is one of the many reasons as to why he is such a great writer. Why within the Benji section the word “fire” and “mirror” and used constantly? Why does the word “shadow” omnipresent in the Quentin section? Faulkner always has a purpose behind it his words. Robert Martin in his work, The Words of “The Sound and the Fury,” explains that the reader must tirelessly attempt to find more within the text. It is the reader’s obligation and responsibility to find the meaning between the lines and behind the words.
In the Benji section, the words fire and mirror are used multiple times to portray the inner thoughts and personal experiences of Benji. The fire obviously calms Benji. Luster and various members of the Compton clan used fire to hush and silence him. Fire is more than just fire to the simple mind of Benji. Fire is concrete, physically visible, and simple to understand. Within a world that is too complicated and abstract for Benji to grasp, fire sheds light upon his understanding. In addition to the use of fire, the word mirror is used multiple times within this section. The mirror represents Benji’s frame of reference. He cannot voluntarily interact to a certain degree in the world he lives in, yet the mirror is the concrete frame in which he can see. Both of these words and the repetition of these words emphasize the fact that Benji is often in the dark and cannot act within the world he lives in.
Similar to the Benji section, Quentin’s section is dispersed with the word “shadow”, which communicates the personal inner struggle that he is constantly fighting with. Quentin’s shadow is often mentioned and almost becomes a character of its own, detached from him. The troubled young man is constantly try to hide from his shadow, to run away from his shadow, to trick his shadow – he is trying to get away from himself. Quentin is not capable of accepting himself; coming to the conclusion that he cannot be perfect, and understanding that disorder will always exist. By not being able to live with his shadow, Quentin concludes he is not able to live with himself.
By understanding the meaning behind Faulkner’s words and use of words, The Sound and the Fury, becomes similar to a foreign language, which requires the reader to decode. While reading, the reader must think out-of-the-box, look for details, and attempt to understand the mind of Faulkner. Benji’s understanding of his world is difficult to grasp without the use of the word fire and Quentin’s personal struggle is emphasized through his personal struggle with his shadow. Without this analysis, these in-depth conclusions would never have been made. So after reading pages of The Sound and the Fury, and proudly stating you have understood all of the text; think again because there is so much more. (564)
The Words of "The Sound and the Fury"
Author(s): Robert A. Martin
Source: The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Fall, 1999), pp. 46-56
Published by: University of North Carolina Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20078252
