FAMILY, MEMORY, AND THE SOUTH IN WILLIAM FAULKNER’S THE SOUND AND THE FURY

Abstract

William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is a seminal work of Southern literature that explores the complexities of family, memory, and regional identity. Through the fragmented perspectives of the Compson family members, the novel portrays the decline of a Southern aristocratic household, reflecting broader social and cultural transformations in the American South. Memory, both as a personal and collective experience, shapes the characters’ identities and highlights the tension between the past and present. Faulkner’s experimental narrative techniques—stream of consciousness, shifting timeframes, and multiple perspectives—allow readers to engage with the subjective nature of memory and the inescapable influence of family legacy. This study examines the interplay of family, memory, and Southern identity, arguing that the novel critiques both personal and cultural decay while offering profound insight into human consciousness and historical consciousness.