Melissa Tyndall English 1010 Dr. Calovini November 9, 2000

Gatsby Has More Fury

William Faulkner said of his book The Sound and the Fury, "It's the book I feel tenderest

towards. I couldn't leave it alone, and I never could tell it right, though I tried hard and would

like to try again, though I'd probably fail again.” Faulkner was a bit too critical of his novel,

however, the book is harder to read in comparison to other pieces of literature of the time.

When reading a book, criteria such as time period, setting, a clear plot, characters, and point of

view are all imperative. Both The Great Gatsby and The Sound and the Fury encompass these

criteria, however The Great Gatsby is a better introduction to modern fiction and is easier for

younger readers to understand.

The majority of The Sound and the Fury takes place in the south in the 1920’s. The

theme of the book is the destruction of the Compson family, which also symbolizes the decay of

the old south in the twentieth century. The alcoholic father of the family has died and the whiny

mother expects her children and her servants to tend to her every need.

The four Compson children seem to have followed in their parents’ footsteps, each

having a star-crossed destiny. Caddy is the only Compson daughter. She becomes pregnant very

early in life and marries a man who forces her to leave after discovering he is not the biological

father of her child. Quentin, one of three brothers, was successful enough to pursue an education

at the prestigious Harvard University. He is the poetic and neurotic son who seems to be in love

with his sister Caddy. In the end, Quentin commits suicide while attending college. Jason,

another brother, is the cynical one of the family. He is very bitter because instead of pursuing his

own life, he has taken his father’s place as the family provider. The final Compson sibling,

Benjy, is mentally retarded. Benjy is treated very poorly, for many members in the family are

ashamed of him. Ironically, he is the only one who does not have control over his life, yet all the

other siblings, who have ruined their lives, treat him disparagingly.

The most discouraging quality of The Sound and the Fury is the point of view from

which it is written. The story is not only told from four different first-person points of view, but

it is written in the stream of consciousness format. It is almost impossible for a reader to

determine which happenings are currently unraveling and which occurrences are memories of the

past. Another difficult aspect of the book is that certain parts have a lack of punctuation. With

no breaks in between thoughts, and only being able too see the story from one character’s stream

of conciousness, it is difficult for younger readers to grasp the theme of the novel.

The Great Gatsby also takes place in the 1920’s. However, this novel takes place in New

York City, as opposed to the south, and reflects the decadence of the rich. Like The Sound and

the Fury, one factor seems to make each character in The Great Gatsby ill-fated; each gets caught

up in a monetary obsession. Fitzgerald intended the theme for this novel to reflect the

corruption of the American dream through people’s greed and obsession for money.

Gatsby, the main character, is one of the richest men in New York. He supposedly

achieved his high social status and wealth through mob connections. However, the only reason

Gatsby cares about money is that it aided in his vain attempt to win back the love of his life. He

shows how little he truly cares about money by throwing wild, extravagant parties that are open

to just about anyone. It seems that he is trying to be rid of his money, but he is really trying to

attract the attention of his former love.

It is at one of his parties that Nick, Gatsby’s next door neighbor, is introduced. Gatsby

discovers that Nick’s second cousin is Daisy, the woman Gatsby loves. At this time, Daisy is

married to Tom, a rich man she never truly loved but settled for because his social class was

acceptable to her. Despite the fact that she is married, Gatsby still has Nick arrange for Daisy to

meet him again without her knowledge, so Gatsby can surprise his old love. Throughout the

novel Nick proceeds to do as Gatsby wishes, trying to be a good friend and living the rich life he

has been seeking.

One evening, all of the characters go to dinner at Tom and Daisy’s home. At this dinner,

Gatsby and Daisy finally reveal that they have fallen in love again. Tom is furious even though

he has been having an affair with a lower-class, married woman named Myrtle. Myrtle is the

wife of a garage-owner named George Wilson. Myrtle, a great example of greed shown

throughout the novel, is in pursuit of wealth through her affair with Tom. As Tom and Daisy are

fighting, Myrtle and her husband are in a marital squabble as well. Tom kicks Daisy out of the

house, and she leaves with Gatsby. Daisy is driving Gatsby’s car when Myrtle, upset after her

own marital squabble, darts into the road. Daisy accidentally hits Myrtle with her car and kills

her. Tom, who is in pursuit of his wife and Gatsby, comes upon the dead body of his lover. Tom

then lies to Myrtle’s husband, saying that Gatsby had killed Myrtle. The story tragically ends

when, in a jealous rage, George Wilson ends up killing both Gatsby and himself. Tom and Daisy

then reconcile and get away because of their great wealth.

The Great Gatsby is told in the first person point of view as is The Sound and the Fury,

but it is simply told by one character. Nick narrates the entire story in a clear fashion that

indicates both the theme and the many subplots of the novel. It is much easier to follow

Fitzgerald’s story than it is to struggle through Faulkner’s work, especially for high school level

students.

Besides being written in a way that is easier for readers to comprehend, The Great Gatsby

is better for younger audiences that The Sound and the Fury for many reasons. F. Scott

Fitzgerald provides a more interesting scene of gaiety and “partying” the 1920’s was known for.

The setting of The Great Gatsby was also better described than that of Faulkner’s novel. The

detail of the plot and the characters in The Sound and the Fury was much more vague and

abstract than Fitzgerald’s classic piece of literature. Most importantly, F. Scott Fitzgerald kept

the point of view in the novel simple. He did not scatter the thoughts of his readers as Faulkner

does with both his characters and his audience.

Many details are needed to decide whether or not a book meets the criteria to be

considered an appropriate piece of literature for a certain age group. A reader must consider the

time period, the setting, the quality of the plot, the characters, and the point of view of the book.

The Sound and the Fury had a confusing point of view, even to high schoolers I knew who were

performing at a college level. The Great Gatsby, on the other hand, was a masterpiece from

cover to cover. As an author, Fitzgerald not only met each of the criteria for a great novel, but he

created a timeless classic that plainly disclosed the plot to readers. Therefore, The Great Gatsby

is a far better read than The Sound and the Fury for younger readers.