In Section 4 of The Sound and The Fury, we are able to see the conclusion of the process that begins with Caddy’s loss of innocence, which we learn about way back in Section 1: the fall of the once-mighty Compson family. This process is finalized towards the end of the novel when Caddy’s daughter Quentin, the one remaining hope for a bright future for the family, finally calls Jason’s bluff and runs away from home with no prospect of being discovered.
The question I have is whether this serves as the beginning of a new branch of the Compsons, a final blow to an already defeated family, or a little bit of both. Has Quentin’s running away destroyed the Compson tradition forever, or was her leaving the toxic environment in which she grew up the only way she could hope to gain a normal future? Or again, was it a little bit of both: a reprieve for Quentin, but a knockout blow for the rest of the family? (169)
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