Corruption In Faulkner's The Sound And The Fury

The deterioration of the American wealthy culture in Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury has progressed further than the deterioration seen in The Great Gatsby. Whereas many of the characters in The Great Gatsby are suffering from the more intangible consequences on their morals, the Compson family in The Sound and the Fury is suffering from the tangible consequences, facing both physical and mental difficulties. The decay of the Compson family is symbolic of the decline of traditional American values and beliefs, and, similarly, can be associated with the corruption of established morals and principles, represented in The Sound and the Fury as the corruption and influence of Caddy on all her family members. Caddy as Faulkner’s symbol of the
Lastly, Jason’s reaction to Caddy’s actions is largely disdain and anger, as he calls her a bitch, torments her daughter Quentin, and steals the money Caddy sends that was meant for her daughter. Jason is completely acceptable to ignore Caddy’s pleas and to besmirch her name, yet continues to take her money instead of ceremoniously burning her checks like their mother has been doing. Jason’s relationship with Caddy symbolizes the internal struggle brewing in the wake of the decline of the wealthy class due to their moral instability, where the corruption of morals becomes apparent but people are unable to adapt to a lifestyle completely cut off from their corrupted morals. With Caddy as the lynchpin, Faulkner successfully uses the relationship dynamics between the Compson siblings to illustrate the different internal conflicts those of wealthy, prestigious families faced during this time of cultural deterioration: Benjy represents the longing for the return of pure, untainted beliefs, Quentin represents the inability to recognize that old traditions are now flawed, and Jason represents the ultimate inability of the wealthy to become independent of their corrupted morals, destined to be pulled further and further into anger and