The Sound and the Fury

**The Sound and the Fury** is a novel by **William Faulkner** that centers on the tragic decline of the Compson family, a once-aristocratic Southern family from **Yoknapatawpha County**. The novel is known for its complex narrative structure, with each of the four sections focusing on a different perspective and utilizing **stream-of-consciousness** writing, which reveals the fragmented thoughts and inner turmoil of its characters. The title is taken from **Shakespeare’s Macbeth**, where it refers to life being “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

The novel opens with the perspective of **Benjy**, the cognitively disabled youngest son of the Compson family, who views the world through sensory impressions rather than logical sequences. Benjy has an obsessive attachment to his sister **Caddy**, whom he associates with the smell of trees and a sense of purity that he mourns after her promiscuity. **Quentin**, another of Caddy's brothers and a student at Harvard, is tormented by his obsession with Caddy’s honor, as well as by his intense, almost incestuous love for her. This torment eventually leads him to suicide by drowning himself in the **Charles River**. The third section is narrated by **Jason**, a bitter, selfish man whose narrative is marked by anger and resentment toward his family. The final section is told from the third-person point of view and focuses on **Dilsey**, the Compsons' loyal Black servant, who tries to keep the family together as they continue to deteriorate.

### Recurring Clues in Quiz Bowl Questions:

1. **Benjy’s Narrative and Caddy's Scent**: Benjy, who has a mental disability, often comments that "Caddy smells like trees," showing his sensory-based attachment to her.

2. **Quentin’s Suicide**: Quentin, tortured by his obsession with time and his sister's purity, breaks his watch and later drowns himself in the Charles River.

3. **Jason’s Anger and Greed**: Jason, the bitter Compson brother, resents his family and hoards child-support money meant for his niece.

4. **Dilsey's Role**: The loyal servant Dilsey provides stability and compassion amidst the family’s collapse, famously saying "They endured" at the novel's end.

5. **The Easter Sermon**: Reverend Shegog’s Easter sermon, which moves Dilsey to tears, is a powerful moment in the final section.

6. **Stream-of-Consciousness and Non-linear Narratives**: Faulkner uses multiple narrators and jumps across time periods, with Benjy’s and Quentin’s sections featuring intense stream-of-consciousness.

### Related Quizbowl Facts That Appeared In More Than One Toss-up on qbreader.org

1. **Benjy** is cognitively disabled and repeatedly comments that ___1___ smells like trees.

2. **Quentin Compson** breaks his ___2___ before committing suicide in the Charles River.

3. **Jason Compson** hoards child-support money intended for ___3___, his niece.

4. The final section of *The Sound and the Fury* highlights **Dilsey** attending a powerful ___4___ sermon.

5. The novel’s title comes from **Macbeth**, where life is described as "a tale told by an ___5___, full of sound and fury."

Fill-in-the-blanks answers for Quizbowl practice:

1. Caddy

2. watch

3. Quentin (or Miss Quentin)

4. Easter

5. idiot

### Clues and Frequencies (Sorted in Descending Order):

1. **Quentin’s suicide by drowning in the Charles River** - 17

2. **Benjy's association of Caddy with the smell of trees** - 15

3. **Caddy’s muddy drawers or underwear** - 13

4. **Dilsey as the caretaker for the Compson family** - 10

5. **Stream-of-consciousness or non-linear narrative style** - 6

6. **Luster looking for a lost quarter or interacting with Benjy** - 6

7. **Mr. Compson giving Quentin a watch as a symbol of time** - 5

8. **Reverend Shegog’s Easter sermon** - 5

9. **Quentin's obsession with Caddy’s purity or incestuous thoughts** - 5

10. **Title reference to *Macbeth* (“The Sound and the Fury”)** - 4

11. **Jason's theft or manipulation of money for personal gain** - 4