Little Sister Death - Finitude in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra

A scholarly introduction and four-chapter thesis examine death as a central philosophical and literary phenomenon through Max Scheler’s ideas, read alongside thinkers such as Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas. The study then applies Scheler’s account of death to William Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury by analyzing the Benjy and Jason narratives, Quentin’s Being-Towards-Death, and the novel’s final answer to death through Dilsey’s responsibility and Caddy’s fecundity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages222

Reading Time5 h 42 min

AccessFree to download

Key to Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter One: The Phenomenon of Death

1. Max Scheler

2. Martin Heidegger

3. Emmanuel Levinas

Chapter Two: The Benjy and Jason Narratives and Scheler’s Phenomenon of Death

Chapter Three: Quentin’s Existence as Being-Towards-Death

Chapter Four: Faulkner’s Final Answer to Death: Dilsey’s Responsibility and Caddy’s Fecundity

Epilogue

Works Cited

Katowice Interdisciplinary and Comparative Studies Literature, Anthropology and Culture Edited by Tadeusz Sławek Volume 4 Agnieszka Kaczmarek Little Sister Death Finitude in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury Little Sister Death Katowice Interdisciplinary and Comparative Studies Literature, Anthropology and Culture Edited by Tadeusz Sławek Volume 4 Agnieszka Kaczmarek Little Sister Death Finitude in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury For Michał, without whom words would have different meanings Acknowledgements A lot of words of acknowledgement are needed to thank Professor Jacek Gutorow for his invaluable comments and suggestions, which immeasurably helped me to complete this thesis. I would also like to express my gratitude to Professor Manfred S. Frings for providing me with literature on Max Scheler, many thanks as well for his correspondence, which helped me to find the answers I sought after. I am deeply grateful to Professor Tadeusz Sławek forgiving me a hand with the publication of the book and to Doctor Tadeusz Lewandowski, who took the trouble to read and correct my dissertation. With Professor Ilona Dobosiewicz’s perceptive comments and Professor Zbigniew Maszewski’s constructive remarks, I was able to prepare the final version of the manuscript. I am also indebted to the School of Higher Vocational Education in Nysa for partially financing the project and for enabling me to participate in the Erasmus program, which resulted in a preliminary survey of the holdings of the British Library. Deep thanks go to Karol Perepłyś and Wojciech Pacha, as well, for their technical and editorial expertise and help. My research on William Faulkner would not have been brought to an end if I had not had other intellectual guides like André Bleikasten, Stephen M. Ross, Noel Polk, and other critics. That they decided to dedicate themselves to studying the literary output of the father of Yoknapatawpha County enabled me to better understand and proceed further and further. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to my family and friends for being here and there. Without them, I would not be who I am. Table of Contents Key to Abbreviations.......................................................................................... 11 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 13 Chapter One The Phenomenon of Death .................................................................................17 1. Max Scheler............................................................................................ 17 2. Martin Heidegger ...................................................................................38 3. Emmanuel Levinas .................................................................................58 Chapter Two The Benjy and Jason Narratives and Scheler’s Phenomenon of Death ..............81 Chapter Three Quentin’s Existence as Being-Towards-Death .................................................125 Chapter Four Faulkner’s Final Answer to Death: Dilsey’s Responsibility and Caddy’s Fecundity.......................................................................................................... 173 Epilogue ........................................................................................................... 197 Works Cited ..................................................................................................... 199

FAQs

What philosophical framework guides the thesis on death?

The thesis centers on Max Scheler’s phenomenon of death and uses related perspectives from Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas.

How does the thesis connect Scheler’s ideas to Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury?

It analyzes narrative structures and existential themes in the novel, including the Benjy and Jason narratives, Quentin’s Being-Towards-Death, and the concluding roles of Dilsey and Caddy.

What does the thesis present as the novel’s “final answer” to death?

In the final chapter, the thesis frames the answer through Dilsey’s responsibility and Caddy’s fecundity.

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra