The Disorder of Things

The article I picked is called “Faulkner: Technique of "The Sound and the Fury."” This article analyzes Faulkner’s technique, arrangement of sections, purpose and effectiveness of the novel. I personally enjoy that Bowling takes into account the importance of the order of the novel. He states that many people believe the novel would be more effective if presented in a different manner, most specifically putting Benji’s section at the end because it is impossible to fully understand without the knowledge of the following sections. Bowling argues that the point of the novel, beyond showing the happenings of Caddy, is to show the utter lack of perspective present in the Compson family (symbolic of the social “disorder”). If one agrees with that being the second most important theme, presenting a section that not only lacks perspective but a narrator who is completely unable to have a perspective is a great way to begin the novel!

I think my favorite part of this article is where Bowling says “Although such capriciousness makes Quentin’s mental processes difficult to follow, this is no mere personal whim on the part of the author to make the section unduly perplexing. Even in the most complex and realistic passages, Faulkner has greatly simplified Quentin’s mental processes in order that the reader may be able to understand them.” The idea that Quentin’s section is probably the hardest to understand (Benji’s was harder to follow, but Quentin, since he is so deeply troubled and intellectual, is much harder to comprehend in entirety) and yet, it is simplified from what his character, had he been real would have really thought. With that in mind, just trying to expand upon what is already presented in Quentin’s section gives me a headache.

I think it is some great food for though! (299)

Bowling, Lawrence E. "Faulkner: Technique of "The Sound and the Fury"" The Kenyon Review 10.4 (1948): 552-56. JSTOR. Web. 29 Oct. 2009. .