The Theme of Betrayal in The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

William Faulkner’s The Sound and The Fury depicts multiple betrayals from family members. These betrayals eventually result in the downfall of the Compson family and the family name.

In the novel, the entire Compson family betrays Caddy by disowning her. As soon as Caddy starts fooling around and having sex with Dalton Ames, her family refuses to speak to her. The Compsons, a traditional southern family, help Caddy, but only for their own purposes. Mother tries to find Caddy a husband at the French Licks.

This act seemingly helps Caddy, but at this point, the family already feels shame toward her, and only does this to protect their own family name. As seen by this betrayal, right in a second, the Compson family, especially mother, can drop Caddy from the family as quickly as she can drop a piece of fruit.

Ever since a child, Caddy has always caused trouble to the family by being the liberal in a conservative family.

Caddy didn’t feel bonded with the family besides Benjy and Quentin. This makes the decision of disowning Caddy emotionally easier for Mother. Mother does not even try to fix her rebellious manners, and seems as if she has already given up. The Compson family betrays Caddy by disowning her and not trying to even accept or understand her actions.

A specific family member, Jason, also targets and betrays Caddy, as he forbids her to see her own daughter, Quentin. Jason constantly taunts Caddy by cheating her out, as seen when she pays Jason $100 to see her own daughter, but only gets to see a flash of her child.

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Ever since a child, the majority of Jason’s misfortunes have been due to Caddy’s actions.

Jason lost his position at the bank and had to deal with Quentin’s childhood, all caused by the divorce with Herbert and the child with Dalton Ames. Jason’s betrayal is more due to vengence than reputation, unlike the betrayal from his mother. He wants to inflict the pain and hardship that he felt in his earlier years towards Caddy; Caddy’s actions indirectly affected Jason, but Jason full- heartedly targets Caddy to hurt. His vengeance and betrayal are only led by his own self interests.

All these betrayals have been caused by a single event that started the Compson downfall: Caddy’s betrayal of the southern code. The traditional southern thought and belief is to be innocent and pure until marriage and to be lady like and proper. Even when at the age of seven, she would want to be the monster or king instead of the princess. She willingly challenged her brothers’ threats and dared to lift her own dress to make a point as a young woman. This betrayal of the southern code exemplifies the main issue of the Compson family. Caddy’s actions are deemed to be modern and rebellious. Her part in the family is to try to evolve the family into a new time of accepting sleeping around as normal. On the other hand, her family tries to stay in the past to try to keep a hold of their prestigious family name.

In the end, Caddy’s betrayal of rebelling from the family and their beliefs was a signal for the coming times of modern promiscuity, and a signal for the family to let go of their traditional southern values. The response of Jason and Mother’s betrayals were only out of vengeance and and the attempt to protect their reputation and stop the evolving changes in culture.