Student Essay on Paradoxical Sense of Time in "the Sound and the Fury",

In the novel "The Sound and the Fury," William Faulkner uses stream of consciousness dialogue, out-of-order of chronology and dislocated time sequences. This reinforces Faulkner's view that point of view and time, more than anything else, is the ordering principle of social relations that creates different levels of consciousness.

In speaking of stream of consciousness in "The Sound and the Fury," one must take into account a few factors. Amongst them, confusion of chronology and dislocated time sequences are the most important. From Faulkner's point of view, time, more than anything else, is the ordering principle of social relations that, according to its organic connection with social situation and individual consciousness, creates different levels of consciousness. For example, in the case of Benjy, lack of consciousness may lead to a chaotic sense of time that may also paradoxically be linear. Or, time, as is the case with Quentin, may assume a philosophical dimension, a state, which results from his conscious wrestling with the questions of identity, honor and desire. In relation to Jason, the significance of time is locked with the importance of financial success......