Date of Defense

4-21-2004

Department

English

First Advisor

Scott Friesner

Second Advisor

Dr. John Martell

Third Advisor

Dr. Greg Smith

Abstract

In first reading The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom!, I soon came to realize how important it is to study the two novels in conjunction with one another. Although I read The Sound and the Fury first, after finishing Absalom, Absalom!, the books became inextricably linked. I also came to discover that Faulkner creates an unusual situation for his audience: while The Sound and the Fury (1929) certainly stands on its own, readers reach a much fuller understanding after reading Absalom, Absalom! (1936), so that, in brief, to interpret The Sound and the Fury, readers must also interpret Absalom, Absalom!, just as knowing The Sound and the Fury is essential to any understanding of Absalom, Absalom!. Quentin Compson, as both narrator and character, provides the essential link between the two works.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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