Introduction:
The South, particularly the rural South, was a central aspect in Faulkner’s writings, for he belonged to the South himself. He even constructed a fictitious country, commonly known as Yoknapatawpha, which provides the setting of numerous of his stories. It served as a lens through which he could examine the traditions, practices and attitudes that had divided and united the people of the South. Faulkner was mostly interested in exploring the moral allusions of history. As the South emerged from the Civil War and Reconstruction period, the people were often torn between a new and an older, more established world order. Most of the time, the culture of the South was “inward-turning”, “backward-looking” and “frozen in its virtues” (Warren 244). This offered an image of massive immobility, while people were fixed on moral values and gentility at the same time. Faulkner wrote about this unchangeableness and ideas of Southern gentility, in a sometimes sarcastic way. He literally attacked the way of thinking by introducing a modern writing style, which included complex and heavily loaded sentences, as well as the “stream-of-consciousness” technique that disregards chronology of events. Thus, why did the South fail to adjust to modernity?
The Sound and the Fury is considered to be an absolute classic of modernity. In this paper, Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury and the short story “A Rose for Emily” will be analysed, searching for reasons to the problem of adjusting to modernity. Therefore, I will look at the depiction of the main characters and indications of role reversal with regard to the ideal Southern family. Furthermore, Quentin’s fixation on the past, as well as Caddy’s and Miss Quentin’s rebellion against the present will be examined. Finally, a closer look at the main characters’ experiences of loss in The Sound and the Fury will take place. The novel, in its struggle with modernity is similar to the short story “A Rose for Emily” and will be set in contrast to it. Apart from the depiction of the main characters, the theme of tradition versus change as an allegory of the South plays an important role.
This study, however, is only a small glimpse into a very wide subject, which could be investigated so much longer.
At a glance
- Grade: 2.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Compares Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury with “A Rose for Emily”
- Examines Southern family roles, Quentin’s fixation on the past, and rebellion
- 14 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. The Struggle with mModernity in The Sound and the Fury
2.1 About the novel
2.2 Depiction of Characters
2.3. Role Reversal
2.4 Fixation on Southern values: Quentin
2.5 Rebellion Against the Present: Caddy and Miss Quentin
2.6 Feelings of Loss
III. The Struggle with Modernity in “A Rose for Emily”
3.1 About the short story
3.2 Depiction of characters
3.3 Tradition vs. Change - an Allegory of the South
IV. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This study examines William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury and “A Rose for Emily” to explore why the American South struggled to adjust to modernity. It considers how characters, family relationships, loss and the tension between tradition and change illuminate that question.
- Southern history, social values and modernity
- The Compson family and the reversal of traditional roles
- Quentin’s attachment to the past and family honour
- Caddy’s and Miss Quentin’s responses to social expectations
- Loss and its effects on the characters
- Emily Grierson and the conflict between tradition and change
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 About the short story
“A Rose for Emily” is Faulkner’s first short story to be accepted and published in a magazine (Forum, April 1930). It was probably written prior to 1929 for he indicated his working on a collection of short stories in a letter to Horace Liveright in 1927. The first time it appeared, however, was October 7, 1929 on the short story sending schedule. The Southern Gothic story creates a mysterious and moody atmosphere, contrasting the protagonist Emily in a decaying house with a rapid changing modern community. The story that never reveals a real time, illustrates different generations’ reactions to Emily as well as her own reactions to a series of crises: “the death of her father, the tax exemption, and the affair with Homer Barron and his disappearance” (Skei 162). Being located in Jefferson, Faulkner again uses his fictional Mississippi county Yoknapatawpha, which was designed for describing the divisions and decay of the Old South. The story is divided into five parts and only told in fragments, with an often confusing sequence of elements. By beginning the story with Emily’s death, the story moves chronologically forward most of the time and at the end returns to the beginning with a broader understanding of the things that have happened. It is narrated from a communal point of view through an anonymous first-person plural narrator “we”, which encompasses several generations of town people and is contrasted with a “they” in some parts. The narrator must, however, have access to relatively secret information, because he knows about a special meeting of the board of aldermen or the purchase of the poison, which would probably not be gained from general gossip around the town. Furthermore, he describes the events and changing opinion towards Emily and especially speaks for the community at certain happenings: “We were not pleased”, as for example when Emily turns thirty and was still single (Skei 151- 164).
With his short story, Faulkner has not only adopted the image of the damsel in distress, but transformed it into Emily, a psychologically damaged spinster. Her mental instability has made her an emblematic Southern Gothic heroine.
Chapter Summaries
I. Introduction: The introduction places Faulkner’s writing in the context of Southern history and presents the question of the South’s difficulty adjusting to modernity. It outlines the two works and the themes selected for analysis.
II. The Struggle with mModernity in The Sound and the Fury: This chapter examines the Compson and Gibson families, role reversal, Quentin’s attachment to Southern values, Caddy’s and Miss Quentin’s rebellion, and the characters’ experiences of loss.
III. The Struggle with Modernity in “A Rose for Emily”: This chapter introduces the short story and its characters, then considers Emily, her house and her relationships in terms of tradition and change in the South.
IV. Conclusion: The conclusion brings the analyses together, reflecting on social change, loss and the different ways Quentin and Emily respond to the past.
Keywords
William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury, A Rose for Emily, Southern modernity, Old South, Southern Gothic, family roles, tradition and change, loss, memory, Quentin Compson, Caddy Compson, Emily Grierson, narrative technique
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this study about?
It examines the struggle to adjust to modernity in two works by William Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury and “A Rose for Emily”.
What are its central themes?
The study focuses on Southern traditions, changing social values, family relationships, loss, memory and the conflict between past and present.
What is the main research question?
The study asks why the South failed to adjust to modernity, using Faulkner’s fictional characters and settings to explore possible reasons.
What research method does the author use?
The author conducts a literary analysis of the two works, interpreting characters, narrative techniques and recurring themes in conversation with published criticism.
What does the main body cover?
It first analyses The Sound and the Fury through its families, characters and experiences of loss, then examines characterisation and the tension between tradition and change in “A Rose for Emily”.
Which keywords characterise the study?
Key terms include Southern modernity, the Old South, tradition and change, loss, memory, family roles and Southern Gothic.
How does the study approach Quentin Compson?
It considers his attachment to Southern moral values, his response to Caddy’s loss of virginity and his preoccupation with time and the past.
What role does Emily’s house play in the analysis?
The study reads the house as a symbol of an older Southern world, considering its decay and isolation alongside the changes taking place in the surrounding community.
- Citation du texte
- Margarete Schattschneider (Auteur), 2011, The South's Failure to Adjust to Modernity, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/177147
