Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Closure in Faulkner's "The Sound and The Fury"

I believe the only event in the final "Dilsey" section of the novel that signifies closure was Quentin's robbery of her brother. Her departure leaves the family completely devoid of any variety in their daily lives, and now the remaining household members will be forced to deal with each other in the same boring routine until another member (presumably Mother) dies. Apart from the drama that Quentin causes, there is nothing else out of the ordinary in this section. It's true that Dilsey, Frony, Luster, and Benjy go to church, but they attend services occasionally according to the novel. It's also true that Luster deviates from the standard road to the graveyard (for the first time ever, perhaps), which completely upsets Benjy. However, this is quickly remedied by Jason, who forces Nancy back onto the old path. Neither of these events are life-changing or particularly significant, but they do give us examples of the continuing decay of the once-proud Compson family. I may not agree with Dilsey's statement, "I seed de beginnin, en now I sees de endin," because I don't see the ending quite yet; there is no question, however, that the end is near for not only the Compson family but also for the atmosphere of the old Deep South. (212)

1 comment:

LCC said...

Sometimes closure can mean showing us that what has been will continue to be. As you say, "Neither of these events are life-changing or particularly significant, but they do give us examples of the continuing decay of the once-proud Compson family." Good point.