Assignment 8 (ENG-2206).
Experiments and Innovations in the Early 20th-Century Western Literature and
Arts
III. William Faulkner
1. Who influences Faulkner’s early period of writing and what is the most prominent
narrative technique he experiments with in his life as an author?
In New Orleans, Faulkner had gotten to know Sherwood Anderson, who advise
him to “go back to Mississippi and cultivate the material in his own postage-
stamp of the native soil”, emphasis on the lives of ordinary people and focus on
the inner workings of their minds.
The most prominent narrative technique Faulkner experimented with
throughout his life as an author is the stream of consciousness technique. This
method involves depicting the continuous flow of thoughts, feelings, and
memories passing through a character's mind.
2. Whose narrative point of view is in each chapter of Faulkner’s The Sound and the
Fury (read the quotation of each chapter selected in the textbook to figure out)?
In the chapter April Seventh, 1928; the narrator is Benjamin Compson or
Benjy, a man “who cannot speak and whose mind cannot distinguish between
the past and present”. His narration is literally a stream of consciousness, with
events presented as they come to his mind, often without chronological order.
In the chapter June Second, 1910; the narrator is Quentin Compson, Benjy's
older brother, who is a Harvard student. His narration is also a stream of
consciousness, reflecting his obsession with his sister Caddy's lost purity and
his own existential crises.
In the chapter April Sixth, 1928; the narrator is Jason Compson, a cynical and
bitter man and the brother of Benjy and Quentin. His narrative is more
straightforward and linear compared to Benjy's and Quentin's, showing his
pragmatic and harsh view of the world.
In the chapter April Eighth, 1928; there is no narrator is this chapter as it is
narrated in the third person, primarily focusing on Dilsey, Compson family's
black servant; which provides an outside perspective on the Compson family.
3. How many italicized passages appear in the excerpt selected in the textbook? What
is each of those italicized passages about? (summarize each in some keywords or 1-2
sentences)
There are 8 total italicized passages appear in the excerpt, which can be divided
into 2 main groups:
In Benjy's chapter (April 7, 1928): reveal his disordered time perception, often
involving memories of his sister Caddy and significant childhood moments,
and sensory experiences that trigger his memories.
In Quentin's chapter (June 2, 1910): signifies flashbacks to Caddy's moments
and his internal turmoil, particularly his obsession with Caddy's purity and
existential despair.
