In The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner intentionally denies Caddy, arguably the main character of the novel, a chance to speak for herself. In doing so he emphasizes how change is never heard, but its ripples are seen. Caddy who represents changing societal norms is only seen through the eyes of those experiencing her actions (changes in values). We never hear Caddy’s motives but we see the effects of her actions. Three different views come to pass as a result of Caddy’s actions and the change they represent: fear, anger, and discomfort. Father and Jason show anger (through father’s drinking and Jason’s foul opinion of most women). While mother shows fear in human way when we are afraid, people tend to lash out. Mother refuses to
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While she hails herself as a champion for changer, she hastily marries Caddy off so she won’t be an unwed mother, refuses to allow Caddy to move home, and won’t even speak Caddy’s name. She would rather die than see her “children…have to accept the wages of sin,” and would die before Jason Sr. (father) knew some of the things that Caddy has done (220). Mother gives Faulkner a vehicle to present the image of those who will fight tooth and nail to keep things the way they are even after times have changes. Her reaction to Caddy’s failure to stay in-line with the system demonstrates a serious inability to cope with change as it comes. When values begin to change, people like mother tend to lash out at the perceived catalyst in an attempt to keep the change at …show more content…
In Jason, we see anger at Caddy directed to most women. With comments like “you can’t trust a one of them (sic),” and “I didn’t have anymore sense than to believe what they said,” Jason takes his hatred fro his sister out on all women (210, 205). Faulkner is in essence providing a carrier for those who take change and use it as an excuse to hate those who benefit from it. However, he uses father to present those who take change out on themselves. Despite his rationalization of “women are never virgins [because] purity is a negative state…contrary to nature,” he still drinks himself to death after Caddy loses her virginity (116). He represents those who claim to be okay with changing times but struggle and ultimately fails to cope with the
While she hails herself as a champion for changer, she hastily marries Caddy off so she won’t be an unwed mother, refuses to allow Caddy to move home, and won’t even speak Caddy’s name. She would rather die than see her “children…have to accept the wages of sin,” and would die before Jason Sr. (father) knew some of the things that Caddy has done (220). Mother gives Faulkner a vehicle to present the image of those who will fight tooth and nail to keep things the way they are even after times have changes. Her reaction to Caddy’s failure to stay in-line with the system demonstrates a serious inability to cope with change as it comes. When values begin to change, people like mother tend to lash out at the perceived catalyst in an attempt to keep the change at …show more content…
In Jason, we see anger at Caddy directed to most women. With comments like “you can’t trust a one of them (sic),” and “I didn’t have anymore sense than to believe what they said,” Jason takes his hatred fro his sister out on all women (210, 205). Faulkner is in essence providing a carrier for those who take change and use it as an excuse to hate those who benefit from it. However, he uses father to present those who take change out on themselves. Despite his rationalization of “women are never virgins [because] purity is a negative state…contrary to nature,” he still drinks himself to death after Caddy loses her virginity (116). He represents those who claim to be okay with changing times but struggle and ultimately fails to cope with the