The Sound and the Fury

Many critics see Faulkner’s novels as allegorical narratives about the history of the American South. What elements of allegory do you see in The Sound and the Fury?

• Do the members of the Compson family seem to represent a single historical group, trend, or tradition, or does each seem to represent something different?
• What does the relationship between the family and their servants convey? 
• How might settings like the Compson house function allegorically? 
• Which elements of the plot strike you as potentially allegorical? 

Teaching Suggestion: If your students are not already familiar with allegory, you might prepare them for this prompt with a brief introduction to the concept. It may be helpful to caution students that allegories are often constructed in subtle ways meant to hint at relationships to real-world events and persons, rather than openly mimicking what is being represented. The students’ goal should be to explore possible correlations, not to establish them definitively, though you can require as much or as little textual evidence in support of their ideas as suits your own objectives.

Differentiation Suggestion: Tackling this prompt requires a thoughtful review of much of the text. You might minimize the burden this represents for students with reading fluency issues by allowing students to gather evidence in small groups or with a partner.