ASSIGNMENTS 8

Experiments and Innovations in the Early 20th-Century West

I. Marcel Proust
1. Summarize the excerpt from Part I. Combray of Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust selected
in the textbook (pp. 137-140) in a paragraph of about 70 words. The summary needs to
mention the character(s) and the main actions described in the excerpt.
The narrator reflects on a period of insomnia and recalls memories from their childhood in
Combray. These memories transport the author back to various rooms, where they realize they
never received a goodnight kiss from their mother, reminisce about their room at their
grandfather's house, and recall Mrs. De Saint Loup. The memories emerge spontaneously,
without the narrator's conscious control, and are guided solely by the subconscious mind.

2. Write down a sentence which you think is the longest one from the excerpt.
“But I had seen sometimes one, sometimes another,...the smell of the vetiver and appreciably
diminished the apparent height of the ceiling.”

II. Tristan Tzara and André Breton

1. Write down the objects the author of “Dada Manifesto 1918” wants to attack.
The author of the manifesto wants to attack or abolish the following objects or concepts: the
family, means rejected by compromise and sociability, logic, hierarchy, social equation,
memory, archaeology, prophets, the future, and any unpleasant or amorous thoughts.

2. What is the problem Breton wants to criticize and what is the one he wants to promote in
the process of artistic creation?
Breton wants to criticize logic and rationality. In contrast, he wants to promote imagination in
the process of artistic creation.

3. Whom does Breton admire and try to apply his theory to the artistic creation?
Summarize in a paragraph of about 30-50 words the main idea of his theory which Breton
mentions in the Manifesto.
This is Sigmund Freud, a fouder of psychoanalysis.

The main idea of Sigmund Freud's theory, as mentioned in the Manifesto by Breton, is that the
discoveries made by Freud allow for a deeper exploration of the human mind beyond mere
surface realities. Freud's focus on the significance of dreams and the unconscious mind
highlights the potential of tapping into hidden forces within our psyche, which can greatly
impact our thoughts and actions. This exploration is not limited to scholars but also includes the
realm of poets, with the aim of understanding and harnessing these forces for the benefit of
individuals and analysts alike.

III. William Faulkner

1. Who influences Faulkner’s early period of writing and what is the most prominent
narrative technique he experiments with in his life as an author?
William Faulkner was influenced by Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), a French realist writer.
The most prrominent narrative technique is the stream-of-consciousness.

2. Whose narrative point of view is in each chapter of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury
(read the quotation of each chapter selected in the textbook to figure out)?
- Part 1: Benjy
- Part 2: Quentin
- Part 3: Jason
- Part 4: Third-person point of view

3. How many italicized passages appear in the excerpt selected in the textbook? What is
each of those italicized passages about? (summarize each in some keywords or 1-2
sentences)
There are 6 italicized passages:

i.
1. “Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so
we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see. We stooped over and crossed
the garden, where the flowers rasped and rattled against us. The ground was hard. We climbed
the fence, where the pigs were grunting and snuffing. I expect they're sorry because one of them
got killed today, Caddy said. The ground was hard, churned and knotted.”

The passage describes a clandestine journey through a garden, involving stooping, crossing,
climbing a fence, and encountering grunting pigs, all narrated from the perspective of Benjy.

2. “Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or they'll get froze. You dont want your hands
froze on Christmas, do you”

Caddy advising someone to keep their hands in their pockets to prevent them from getting frozen
on Christmas.

3. “What are you moaning about, Luster said. You can watch them again when we get to the
branch. Here. Here's you a jimson weed. He gave me the flower. We went through the fence, into
the lot”

The passage describes Luster comforting someone who is moaning and offering them a jimson
weed flower before they both proceed through a fence into a lot.

4. “Can’t you shut up that moaning and slobbering, Luster said. Aint you shamed of yourself,
making all this racket. We passed the carriage house, where the carriages was. It had a new
wheel.”

Luster reprimanding someone for their moaning and slobbering while they pass by the carriage
house, noting that it had a new wheel.

ii.
5. “She ran right out of the mirror, out of the banked scent. Roses. Roses. Mr and Mrs Jason
Richmond Compson announce the marriage of.”

6. “Only she was running already when I heard it…V-shaped silver cuirass on his running
chest”

A woman running out of a mirror, her veil swirling, as she swiftly moves across the porch and
into the moonlit night, shedding her dress and clutching her bridal attire, ultimately joining the
chaotic sounds of bellowing, while her father wears a silver cuirass on his chest.

Besides, there are some italicized phrases and sentences:

- “Hold still now”
- “Now stomp”
- “I have committed ineest I said Father it was I it was not Dalton Ames”
- “One minute she was standing in the door”
- “Father said it used to be a gentleman was known by his books; nowadays he is known by the
ones he has not returned”

Writing
You’re supposed to write an essay (of about 2,000-2,500 words) whose title is “The technique of
stream of consciousness and the tragedy of family in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the
Fury.”
Make an outline, which consists of arguments, for that essay.

Note: You need to know what is an argument and what form it should be of to have a good
outline.

I. Introduction
1. Short overview of William Faulkner and his novel: "The Sound and the Fury"
2. Introduction to the technique of stream of consciousness
3. Thesis statement: Explore how Faulkner's use of stream of consciousness contributes to the
portrayal of the tragedy within the Compson family in "The Sound and the Fury.

II. Literature review

1. Faulkner's use of the stream of consciousness technique in The Sound and the Fury is a
significant aspect of the novel, allowing the reader to delve into the complex minds of the
characters (Gaidhani, 2019).
2. This technique is particularly effective in portraying the decline of the Compson family,
revealing their internal conflicts and the impact of a central tragic event (Bassett, 1981)
3. The novel's exploration of family tragedy is thus intricately linked to Faulkner's innovative
narrative style. Furthermore, the novel's technical experimentation aligns with the modernist
movement, reflecting the broader literary context of the time (Luga, 2021).

III. Analysis
1. The portrayal of individual perspectives
- The stream of consciousness technique used for different characters (e.g., Benjy, Quentin,
Jason, Dilsey)
- How the use of stream of consciousness reveals the characters' inner thoughts, memories, and
emotions
- How these individual perspectives contribute to the overall tragedy of the Compson family

2. Time and memory as central themes

- Narrative structure and nonlinear timeline in the novel
- Stream of consciousness enhances the exploration of time and memory
- The impact of the characters' memories and recollections on their tragic present

3. The disintegration of family bonds

- The complex relationships within the Compson family
- Stream of consciousness reveals the characters' conflicts, secrets, and suppressed desires
- The consequences of these fractured family bonds and their contribution to the overall tragedy

III. Conclusion
1. Recap the main arguments discussed in the essay
2. Emphasize the significance of Faulkner's use of stream of consciousness in portraying the
tragedy of the Compson family

References:

Gaidhani, C.Y. (2019). THE TRENDS OF STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS TECHNIQUE IN

WILLIAM FAULKNER S NOVEL THE SOUND AND THE FURY’’.

Bassett, J.E. (1981). Family Conflict in The Sound and the Fury. Studies in American Fiction
9(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1353/saf.1981.0016.

Luga, C. A., & Ukande, C. K. (2021). The Novel, Modernism and Technique in William
Faulkner’s ‘The Sound and the Fury’. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies,
9(2). https://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/theijhss/article/view/159776.