【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 he Athens Academy ? regarded as an important interpreter of the universal theme of the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself ? experimented in the use of streamofconsciousness technique and in the dislocation of narrative time. The Sound and the Fury was published in 1929. Many critics and even Faulkner himself think that it is the best novel that he wrote. Its subject is the downfall of the Compson family, the offspring of the pioneer Jason Lycurgus Compson. The Sound and the Fury Plot: 小說(shuō)的故事發(fā)生在杰弗生鎮(zhèn)上的康普生家。這是一個(gè)曾經(jīng)顯赫一時(shí)的望族，祖上出過(guò)一位州長(zhǎng)、一位將軍。家中原來(lái)廣有田地，黑奴成群，如今只剩下一幢破敗的宅子，黑傭人也只剩下老婆婆迪爾西和她的小外孫勒斯特了。一家之長(zhǎng)康普生先生是一九一二年病逝的。他在世時(shí)算是一個(gè)律師，但從不見(jiàn)他接洽業(yè)務(wù)，他整天醉醺醺，嘮嘮叨叨地發(fā)些憤世嫉俗的空論，把悲觀的情緒傳染給大兒子昆丁。康普生太太自私冷酷，無(wú)病呻吟，總感到自己受氣吃虧，實(shí)際上是她在拖累、折磨全家人。她時(shí)時(shí)不忘南方大家閏秀的身分，以致她僅僅成了一種“身分”的化身，而完全不具有作為母親與妻子應(yīng)有的溫情。家中沒(méi)有一個(gè)人能從她那里得到愛(ài)與溫暖。女兒凱蒂可以說(shuō)是全書(shū)的中心，雖然沒(méi)有以她的觀點(diǎn)為中心的單獨(dú)的一章，但書(shū)中一切人物的所作所為都與她息息相關(guān)。物極必反，從古板高傲、規(guī)矩極多的舊世家里偏偏會(huì)出現(xiàn)浪蕩的子女。 凱蒂?gòu)摹澳戏绞缗钡囊?guī)約下沖出來(lái)，走過(guò)了頭，成了一個(gè)輕佻放蕩的女子。她與男子幽會(huì)，有了身孕，不得不與另一男子結(jié)婚?；楹笳煞虬l(fā)現(xiàn)隱情，拋棄了她。她只得把私生女（也叫昆?。┘酿B(yǎng)在母親家，自己到大城市去闖蕩。哥哥昆丁和凱蒂兒時(shí)感情很好、作為沒(méi)落的莊園主階級(jí)的最后一代的代表者，一種沒(méi)落感始終追隨著昆丁。 他極其驕傲，極其敏感，卻又極其孱弱（精神上、肉體上都是如此）。他偏偏又過(guò)分重視妹妹的貞操，把它與門(mén)第的榮譽(yù)甚至自己生與死的問(wèn)題聯(lián)系在一起。凱蒂的遭遇一下子使他失去了精神平衡。就在妹妹結(jié)婚一個(gè)多月后，他投河自盡了。對(duì)昆丁來(lái)說(shuō)，“未來(lái)”是看不見(jiàn)的，“現(xiàn)在”則是模糊不清的一片混飩，只有“過(guò)去”才是真實(shí)清晰的。昆丁本也想與妹妹“一起進(jìn)地獄”，因?yàn)橹挥羞@樣才可以與蔑視、鄙視他們的世界隔絕開(kāi)來(lái)。這一點(diǎn)既然辦不到，他只得采用結(jié)束自己生命的辦法，免得自己看到事態(tài)朝他不喜歡的方向發(fā)展。表面上他是為妹妹而死，實(shí)際上則是為家庭的沒(méi)有前途而亡。 ? 這部小說(shuō)以美國(guó)南方?jīng)]落莊園主康普生一家人的經(jīng)歷為主線，寫(xiě)出了存在于他們中間的混亂思想、沉淪道德。老康普生游手好閑、戀酒貪杯、而他的妻子則冷酷無(wú)情。長(zhǎng)子昆丁是個(gè)守舊者；妹妹凱蒂風(fēng)流成性；次子杰森冷酷貪婪；三子班吉是個(gè)白癡。故事通過(guò)老康普生一家人的內(nèi)心獨(dú)白，圍繞著凱蒂的墮落展開(kāi)情節(jié)，最后則以黑人女傭迪爾西的話總結(jié)全書(shū)：“如果你還算是人的話，你也只是個(gè)冷酷無(wú)情的人，杰森！” Character List: Jason Compson III The head of the Compson household until his death from alcoholism in 1912. Mr. Compson is the father of Quentin, Caddy, Jason IV, and Benjy, and the husband of Caroline. Caroline Compson The selfpitying and selfabsorbed wife of Mr. Compson and mother of the f o u r C o m p s o n c h i l d r e n . C a r o l i n e‘ s hypochondria（ 憂郁癥 ） preoccupies her and contributes to her inability to care properly for her children. Quentin Compson The oldest of the Compson children and the narrator of the novel39。s second chapter. A sensitive and intelligent boy, Quentin is preoccupied with his love for his sister Caddy and his notion of the Compson family39。s honor. He mits suicide by drowning himself just before the end of his first year at Harvard. Caddy Compson The second oldest of the Compson children and the only daughter. Actually named Candace, Caddy is very close to her brother Quentin. She bees promiscuous, gets pregnant out of wedlock, and eventually marries and divorces Herbert Head in 1910. Jason Compson IV The second youngest of the Compson children and the narrator of the novel39。s third chapter. Jason is meanspirited, petty, and very cynical. Benjy Compson The youngest of the Compson children and narrator of the novel39。s first chapter. Born Maury Compson, his name is changed to Benjamin in 1900, when he is discovered to be severely mentally retarded. Narrative: stream of consciousness The first three chapters of the novel consist of the convoluted thoughts, voices, and memories of the three Compson brothers, captured on three different days. Benjy, a severely retarded thirtythreeyear