a-tentative-analysis-on-intrinsic-factor-of-quentins-death-in-the-sound-and-the-fury-英语专业大学

ATentativeAnalysisonIntrinsicFactorofQuentin’sDeathinTheSoundandtheFuryⅠ.IntroductionActually,theauthorknowsalittleaboutWilliamFaulknerbeforeenteringcollege.TheauthorgetsmoreinterestedinhisfictionsafterhavinglearnedtheAmericanLiterature.ThefirstbooksheborrowedfromthelibraryisFaulkner’sTheSoundandtheFury.AndbecauseitisthefirstbookofFaulkner’sthatshereadsandwithitsspecialwritingstyle,thebookgivesagoodimpressiononherthoughitisdifficulttounderstandattheverybeginning.ShereadstheChinesetranslationfirstlyandthenreadsthisfictionintheoriginal.Also,shesurfsontheinternetabouttheinformationaboutWilliamFaulknerandhiswritingstyle.Allofthisisgreathelpfultoherwriting.Sotheauthorchoosesthistopicwhichsheisinterestedin.Quentin’sdeathinTheSoundandtheFuryisdiscussedbymanypeople.Theyanalyzehisdeathontheaspectofsocialfactor,thatistosay,externalfactor.However,inthisthesis,theauthoranalyzeshisdeathontheaspectofintrinsicfactor,thatistosay,internalfactor,todigoutloss,confusion,aswellaspowerlessnessofhisinnerworld.WilliamFaulkner(1897--1962),oneofthemostsignificantwritersinthetwentiethcenturyinAmericanliteraryscene,evenliteraryscenearoundtheworld,wasborninNewAlbany,Mississippi.HehadspecialfeelingsfortheAmericanSouth,andhewasawardedtheNobelPrizeinLiteraturein1949.WilliamFaulknerespeciallywasinterestedinmulti-generationalfamilychronicles.TheSoundandtheFury,hisacclaimedmasterpiece,waspublishedin1929.Faulkner’sfictionsconveyastrongsenseoffragmentationinsocialcommunityandwithintheindividualhimselfduetothelossofloveandlackofemotionalresponse.HisnovelsarecloselyrelatedtotheSouthdecay.HefeelsthatthedestructionoftheOldSouthleadstothecorruptionanddisorderintheSouth,especiallyafterthecivilwar.Moreover,thewarhasbroughtaboutgreatchangesineconomyandpoliticsoftheSouth.MostofhisnovelsconcernwithpeoplewholiveinasmallregioninAmericanSouth,towhichFaulknergivesafictionaltitleofYoknapatawphaCountywhichstandsfortheOldSouth.FaulknerisnotedforhisfamousYoknapatawphaseriesofnovels.TheSoundandtheFuryisthemostrepresentativeoneofthisseries,whichisrankedbyFaulknerashisfavorite.Inthisnovel,theauthormanipulatestheartisticdevices—streamofconsciousnessandmultiplepointsofviewsoproficientlythatmakesthisnovelrateasoneofthethreerepresentativemasterpiecesfor“streamofconsciousness”novels,togetherwithMarcelProust’sTimeRegainedandJamesJoyce’sFaulknerobstinatelyrevealsthehumantragedyinhisworks.Hisworksdepicthumansufferingwithitsgloomyandheavypessimismthatshockthereaders’mind.TheendofthisnovelTheSoundandtheFuryissimplyasubjectandapredicate,withoutanymodificationofcomponents:theyendured,whichcanbeseenisthedescriptionofCompsonfamily’stragedyoflife.Ⅱ.TheSoundandtheFuryandMacbethTheSoundandtheFury,bythesoliloquyofthefourcharacters,demonstratesthedestructionandcollapseofCompsonfamilyandpresentsthedecayofvaluesandnormsofAmericanSouth.Inthisnovel,Faulkner,bythesubtleemploymentofstreamofconsciousnessandmultiplepointsofview,rendersfourofhischaracterstorespectivelytellthestoryofhowtheyexperiencesomanysocialchangesandthedownfallofCompsonfamily.Mr.Compson,themasterofthehouse,isatitularlayerwhoardentlylovestalkingaboutlifewithhisphilosophy,livingouthisdaysmuddle–headedly.Mrs.Compsonisaself-pityoldlady,moaningandgroaningaboutimaginaryillnesses.Mr.andMrs.Compsonhaveonedaughterandthreesons—theeldestsonQuentinwhofinallycommitssuicideispessimistic,neuroticandincompetent,withdeep-rootedconceptsoftradition.ThesecondsonJasonwhobecomesanirrationalavengerandtyrannismisselfishandruthless.Theyoungestman-childBenjyisafoolwhoonlyprolongsremainingyearsinindescribablepainandwails.ThedaughterCaddybreakstheimprisonmentof“SouthernLady”,beingabandonedbythewholefamilybecauseoflosinghervirginity,andultimatelyreducestoNazigeneral’smistress.FromtheLIWenjun’sCommentaryonTheSoundandtheFury,weknowthatthespecialbondbetweenFaulkner’sthisnovelandShakespeare’sMacbethisnoted(Li,2003:68).FaulknerisgreatlyinspiredbyWilliamShakespeare’sfamousplayMacbeth,outofwhichhegetshisinitiativetofinishTheSoundandtheFury.However,doesShakespeare’sMacbethjustenlightenFaulknertocreatethetitleofthisnovel?Thetitleofthisnovel,TheSoundandtheFury,istakenfromthefollowingsoliloquyinMacbeth:Tomorrow,andtomorrow,andtomorrow,Creepsinthispettyspacefromdaytoday,Tothelastsyllableoftherecordedtime;AndallouryesterdayhavelightedfoolsThewaytothedustydeath.Out,out,briefcandle!Life’sbutawalkingshadow:apoorplayer,ThatstrutsandfretshishouruponstageAndthenisheardnomore:itisataleToldbyanidiot,fullofsoundandfury,Signifyingnothing.(Shakespeare1997:79)Macbethmakeshisspeechafterhearingthedeathofhiswife,andquiteincidentallyorintentionally,someofhisgeneralfeelingsaboutloss,decayanddeatharepresentedinTheSoundandtheFury(Wang,2011:206).Astheeldestson,QuentinistheonlyonehopeofthefamilytopursueadifferentlifeatHarvardUniversity.However,hecommitssuicideandsymbolicallykillsthefamilyalongwithhimself.Soitisneverhardforustoperceptthattheauthorofthisnovelwantstoplayuptheatmosphereofdecay,lossandconfusionintheprocessofelaboratinghisstory,whichhegetsinspiredbyShakespeare’sMacbeth.Therefore,thisdecisivebackgroundandthemeprojectedinthisnovelhighlightthethemeofthenovel—decayandconfusion,outofwhichcanbeseenastheprophetsoftheCompson’sdownfall,andthefadingawayofAmericanSoutherners.ClearlythispieceofsoliloquyfromMacbethnotonlyfurnishesthetitleofthenovel,butalsosetsthetoneofFaulkner’sQuentin’slanguageandlifeechoMacbeth’swords.AndQuentin’syesterdayhaveinasenselightenedhiswaytodustydeath(An,2010:4).Atanymoment,wefeelstronglythebreathofdeathfollowingQuentinwhilewearereadingTheSoundandtheFury.QuentinisWilliamFaulkner’smostthoughtfulcharacter,andhispresenceexpandsthesightinTheSoundandtheFury.WhenitcomestoQuentin,theeldestsonofCompsonfamilyinTheSoundandtheFury,peopleoftenattributehisdeathtotheCompson’sdownfallandCaddy’slossofpurityandinnocence.Nodoubtthisassertionispartiallytrue,butitislikelytobemisleadingtoclaimthatthisisthemajorreasonthatleadstoQuentin’sdeath.However,whatistheintrinsicfactorthatleadstohisdeath?ThispaperwilldiscusstheintrinsicfactorofQuentin’stragedy--hisfraildispositionfromthefollowingtwoaspects.Ⅲ.IntrinsicfactorofQuentin’sdeath--fraildispositionQuentin,arepresentativeofanoldSouthernaristocraticfamily,haspainonthedemiseofCompsonfamily.HeisanidealHarvardstudentwholovesconceptsofCompsonhonorprecariouslyandattemptstorescuethedeclinefamily,yetQuentin’sfraildispositionmakeshimnolongerbearthestressoftraditionsandthecruelreality.Eventually,hehurlshimself,relinquishing,drowninginthecoldriverinMassachusetts,June1910.Quentin’sfraildispositionismainlyreflectedinhisbeliefsinunbetrayabletraditionandinseparabletime.3.1UnbetrayabletraditionDuetohistoricalandgeographicalreasons,AmericanSouthaffectedbytheEuropeanthoughtsofsocialconservativesoftheMiddleAges,ismoreseriousandconventional.AcompletesetofrulesofPuritanethicsconstrainstherelationshipamongpeopleandthenormsofpeople’sbehavior.TheprotagonistQuentininTheSoundandtheFurylivesinsuchsocialculture.3.1.1IncapableofdevelopingancestralgloryQuentin’ssectionismainlyabouthispainfulandchaoticsoliloquyoftheinnerworldofthedayconfessionwhenhedecidestocommitsuicide.Fantasy,dreamsandescapebuildQuentin’sspiritualworld,whichconstitutestrictlythemaincausesofhissuicideandtragedyoflife.Inbrief,whatleadtohistragedyarehisdeep-rootedtraditionvaluesandrigidthought.Faulknersays,Quentin,wholovednothissister’sbodybutsomeconceptofCompsonhonorprecariouslyand(heknewwell)onlytemporarilysupportedbytheminutefragilemembraneofhermaidenheadasaminiaturereplicaofallthewholevastglobeearthmaybepoisedonthenoseofatrainedseal.(Faulkner,1990:331)Asarepresentativeofthelastgenerationofthedeclineofmanorclass,QuentinisproudofhisfamilyhistoryandhasastrongconsciousnessoftheSouth.Thoughhealwayslivesintheaureoleofhisancestralglory,thecruelrealitymakeshisweakshouldersunabletobearthestressoftradition.Innerconflicthasbeentorturinghim.Hegetsentangledindepression,pessimism,despairandasenseofdefeat.Hecannotdonothingbutchoosedeath.(Jing,2011:143)Quentinhasnowaytogetridoftheshadowoftheoldtraditionsandheisincapableofbeingnowandallhiswisdomcanmerelycopewiththepast.Lackingmother’slove,Caddy’sloseofhervirginity,Jason’sdepravity,Benjy’swhinecanonlyberegardedasafuseofQuentin’ssuicide（Tang,2006:93).Actually,thetragedyisthathisideologyisacompletelyunanimated，inheritedanddegenerateworldoutlook,outlookonlifeandvalues.3.1.2IncapableofCaddy’s“lossofinnocence”FrailtyisnotonlyQuentin’sAchilles’heel,butalsoistheroot-causeofhistragedy.Hehasnomeansofconcealingtheimageofinnerself-delusion.Whenheisdesperateforthefutureofhisfamilyandhimself,hesternlyleapsintothebottomlessabyss.InordertoupholdtheCompson’shonorandtraditionalconcepts,QuentinswearstoduelwithDaltontokillhimforrevengewhenCaddyloseshervirginity.However,Quentinisnotcourageousenoughandhesays“whatforIwonttrytobeatthat”whenDaltonhandsthepistoltohim.“IhithimIwasstilltryingtohithimlongafterhewasholdingmywrists……andheholdingmeonmyfeet”(Faulkner,1990:161).DaltonshrugsoffQuentin,pickinghimup.Quentincannotstoptimebydestroyingthewatch.NorcanhepreventCaddy’slossofinnocencebyhopingtoisolateherfromtheloudworld.Quentin,atthismoment,isridiculousandpoor,whichhe’llnevereraseshame.Frailtyandcowardicemakehimunabletogetridofshameandtradition.DeathforQuentinisthoroughliberationandprofound.FromQuentin,whosignifiesthecontemporarylostyouth,weseethatthedesperationofnoblefamilyinOldSouthandtheuniversalspiritualcrisisofEuropeanandAmericanyouthgenerationafterWorldWarⅠ.3.2InseparabletimeInasense,Quentin’stragedyisthetragedyoftime.Heissosensitivetotime,almosttothepointofmorbidthathehasastrongandevendistortedsenseoftime.Theringandtickingoftheclockisseamlesswiththemovementoflife.Thewords“watch”,“time”and“clock”areusedfrequentlyinQuentin’ssection.Theword“watch”appears78times,“time”appears69timesand“clock”appears24times(Rao,2007:117).Buthisunderstandingoftherelationshipbetween“time”and“clock”isquiteabsurd.Theemphasisinthisnovelonmechanical“recordedtime”isanobviousparallel.Clocksandwatchesaretheinstrumentsusedtorecordedtime,while“watch”forQuentinisthe“mausoleumofallhopeanddesire.”3.2.1Zealousinthe“past”Thefoursectionsofthenovelaretitledwithfourdates.Quentin’ssectionisdated“JuneSecond,1990”,andbeginswithQuentin’sacutesenseoftime“Whentheshadowofthesashappearedonthecurtainsitwasbetweensevenandeighto’clockandthenIwasintimeagain,hearingthewatch”(Faulkner,1990:76).Nomatterwhenandwhere,thedepthofhisconsciousnesswouldbeechoedwiththeringandthetickingoftheclock;hiseverynerveendingsisfeelingtheexistenceoftime.“ButtheshadowofthesashwasstillthereandIhadlearnedtotellalmosttotheminute”(Faulkner,1990:77).Quentincandistinguishdifferentstylesofeveryquarter,evencansmellthetasteofautumncomingfromthebell,andthenhecontinuestoobservetheshadowsunmoving.ItwasGrandfather’sandwhenFathergaveittomehesaidIgiveyouthemausoleumofallhopeanddesire.”“ItwasproppedagainstthecollarboxandIlaylisteningtoit.Hearingit,thatis.Idon’tsupposeanybodyeverdeliberatelylistenstoawatchoraclock.Youdon’thaveto.Youcanbeoblivioustothesoundforalongwhile,andtheninasecondoftickingitcancreateinthemindunbrokenthelongdiminishingparadeoftimeyoudidn’thear.(Faulkner,1990:76)Quentin’smindisbrimmingoverwithtimeandheishostiletotime.Herefusestoacceptthepassageoftime,theinevitablechangeandloss.Fromtheoutsetofhisnarration,heisfixedinthe“past”,histhoughtandbehaviorarealmostentirelycontrolledbythememoriesofthepast.Itseemsthatallthepastwhichhehasstrongfeelingsinisthespiritualpillarofhimthatsupportshimtolive.“Hauntedbypasttowhichheisinadequate,tormentedbyapresenthecannotface,anddoomedtonofuture”(An,2010:5).Heislostinthe“was”,andcannotfindananswertothe“is”.Theentirethingsandmemoriesofthepastblotoutthepresent.Obviously,Quentin’smemorialtothepastisthenostalgiatothevanishedSouthgloryandthehonoroftheCompsonfamily,andthenostalgiatotherootofhisliving.However,thewheeloftimeinreal-worldmovessilentlyandimpassivelyforward,mercilesslycrushingthepastofwhichheisproudandsurviving.Heseesnotnostalgiabutfearintime.Hiseffortstogetridofthepastnotonlyaccidentlyreconstructtheunforgotten“past”,butalsostrengthenitspresence.3.2.2PowerlesstoconquertimeTimebecomeshisbiggestthreatwhenhefindshimselfnolongerliveameaningfullife.Heworriesabouttimeandattemptstostoptimesoastoremainthepastpermanent.Hismindisimbuedwiththeadvicewhenhisfathergiveshimthewatch,Igiveittoyounotthatyoumayrememberthetime,butthatyouforgetitnowandthenforamomentandnotspendallyourbreathtryingtoconquerit.Becausenobattleiseverwonhesaid.Theyarenotevenfought.Thefieldonlyrevealstomanhisownfollyanddespair,andvictoryisanillusionofphilosophersandfools.(Faulkner,1990:76)However,Quentintriestoconquertimetostoptimefromadvancing.Ironically,heseekstodestroytimebybreakinghisgrandfather’swatch.Iwenttothedresserandtookupthewatch,withthefacestilldown.Itappedthecrystalonthecornerofthedresserandcaughtthefragmentsoftheglassinmyhandandputthemintothetray(Faulkner,1990:80).But“Thewatchtickedon.”Thewatchcontinuestotick,alongwiththeclocksinthejeweler’sshopandtheHarvardbellschimeeveryquarterhour.Quentinfailstostoptimebydestroyingthewatch.Hethinksthattimecanbeterminated,butinfactheonlydestroystimescale.Yettheclocktickismoreasymboloftheinvisiblepresenceoftimeandcannotbeconquered.“Fathersaidthat.TheChristwasnotcrucified;hewaswornawaybyaminuteclickingoflittlewheels.”And“BecauseFathersaidclocksslaytime.Hesaidtimeisdeadaslongasitisbeingclickedoffbylittlewheels”(Faulkner,1990:77).Quentinbreaksthewatch,enteringthenon-clocktime.Heisholedupinthe“past”inordertoescape“now”.“Ipassedajeweler’swindow,butIlookedawayintime.”“Don’ttellme,pleasesir.Justtellmeifanyofthemareright”(Faulkner,1990:83--84).Themoredesperateheisinhiseffortstoavoidtime,themoreconscioushebecomes.Humanbeingscanstopaclockwhichjustisaninstrumenttorecordtime.Humanbeingscanreverseaclock.Humanbeingscansmashaclock.Humanbeingscanslowaclockdown.Butwecannevermaketimestop.Aquarterhouryet.AndthenI’llnotbe.Thepeacefullestwords.Peacefullestwords.Nonfui.Sum.Fui.Nonsum.SomewhereIheardbellsonce.MississippiorMassachusetts.Iwas.Iamnot.MassachusettsorMississippi……Iam.Drink.Iwasnot……IhavesoldBenjy'spastureandIcanbedeadinHarvard……Harvardissuchafinesoundfortyacresisnohighpriceforafinesound.AfinedeadsoundwewillswapBenjy'spastureforafinedeadsound.(Faulkner,1990:174)QuentinhatestimeashisenemywhichhasbroughtaboutthelossofCaddyandthedeclineofhisfamily.ThelineofLatin“Nonfui.Sum.Fui.Nonsum”means“Wasnot.Iswas.Isnot”.“Was”forQuentinmeansgain,purity,happinessandglory;“is”impliesdecline,decayandlossofallbeautifulthingshecherishes(An,2010:5).ToQuentin,“future”isinvisible,“now”isambiguouschaos,only“past”withultra-realistic,isclear.Helivesin“now”,butalsolivesin“past”,andthe“past”permeates“now”.Thewords“is”,“was”and“pasture”，“Harvard”revealhisdesirestovoidtheactualworldofmutabilityandevil.Life,motionandtimeareallmeaninglessforhimanddeathforQuentinasforMacbethwillendtheempty“soundandfury”existence(An,2010:5).TheidealistQuentinistryingtoobstructtheadvanceofthetimetakinghisownlifeinordertoremainhisyouthfulidealworldintact.ForQuentin,beingalivemeanshehastobepatientandendureeverythingheisunwillingorunabletobear,andallthisvirtualpresencemakeshimfalsifyintoashadow,acompanyunknowntohim.Hisprideandfamilyshamemadehimdarenottopluckupthecouragetolive.Ultimatelyhechoosesdeathasaweaponofresistancetogetridoftheterriblerealityoftheworld.Deathistheonlyway.Tragically,untilthedayhedied,hecouldnotunderstandthattimeisinvisible.Quentin’syesterdayinasenselightedhiswaytodustydeath.AsMacbethsaid,AndallouryesterdayhavelightedfoolsThewaytothedustydeath.……ItisataleToldbyanidiot,fullofsoundandfury,Signifyingnothing.(Shakespeare,1997:79)Ⅳ.ConclusionTheSoundandtheFury,Faulkner’sacclaimedmasterpiece,isanaccountofthetragicdownfalloftheCompsonfamily(Hu＆Yao,2010:158).AsadescendentofthedecliningSouthernaristocracy,QuentinisthetypicalofthoseinFaulkner’sYoknapatawphastoriesthatarethesymbolsoftheOldSouthbuttheprisonersofthepast.ThedeformedpersonalityofQuentindemonstratesFaulkner’spointofviewthatbyalienatingoneselffromreality,apersonisboundtobeatragedy.ThefraildispositionmakesQuentinberigidattheingrainedtraditionvalues,ossifiedthinking.Somanytraditions