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William Faulkner 's The Sound And The Fury

Decent Essays

The American uneven literary landscape is emphasized through Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, as these authors merge two distinct novels into the same time period in which their co-existence should not be possible, but somehow is. As American literature evolves, the limitations that were once set upon authors disappear, ultimately creating an uneven literary landscape as seen through The Sound and the Fury and Ceremony. On one hand, Faulkner’s novel divulges the reality behind the corroding southern white family, the Compsons, through his sectional writing style that showcases the innermost thoughts and views of multiple characters. On the other hand, Silko conveys the tale of a young Native …show more content…

As a result of his sporadic and juvenile behavior, the Compsons attempt to distance Benjy from the public eye whenever he behaves in a manner in which they do not want to control themselves: “You go on and keep that boy out of sight” (Faulkner 37). Due to the embarrassment and disdain the family feels towards Benjy, Mr. and Mrs. Compson enlist the services of their black servants, including Luster, a black boy who is half the age of Benjy, to hush Benjy’s weeping from being heard and oftentimes, to remove him from most situations in order to preserve what is left of the Compson legacy and reputation.
Benjy’s isolation from society escalates as his connection to the Compson family is primarily through black characters. In keeping Benjy hidden from society, his identity begins to diminish and become less meaningful as the estrangement escalates. Through remaining as the Compson family’s source of shame due to his mental disabilities, Benjy’s original name, Maury, is stripped away from him along with any past sense of an identity: “’Get up Mau-I mean Benjy’” (Faulkner 61). Through Caddy’s unintentional confusion of her brother’s name, Faulkner emphasizes the extent of the estrangement of Benjy and his family in the novel as his own sister is required to think twice about how she refers to her younger brother. Due to Benjy’s name change during his teenage years, he loses all sense of being. Furthermore, in being referred to as Benjy,

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