Envelope Activity
William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury
Envelope Close Reading Activity
Farrah Hilton, EastForsythHigh School, Kernersville, NC
based on an idea by Letitia Hughes
Directions:
Each of you will be given an envelope with one close reading topic on it. Throughout your reading of the play, you are to copy passages onto index cards and put them in your envelope.
You will meet periodically in groups to share the contents of your envelope and discuss why the passage was selected and the effect of the quoted passage on the meaning of the work as a whole. Some days you will be placed into groups of students with the same topic and on others you will be placed with a group with different topics. Envelope contents may also be used to guide discussion in Socratic seminar and as quiz grades. Write legibly on the cards as some days the envelopes will be swapped and your classmates might write an analysis of the excerpts in your envelope.
Envelope 1. The role of religion and use of Biblical references are woven throughout the novel. Find quotes and examples that illustrate the role these references and allusions play in the novel and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 2: A conflict exists between the Pre and Post Civil War South (Old vs. New). Look for passages that represent this conflict and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 3: “Dirty drawers” is a recurring image in the play. Look for quotes/passages that illustrate this image and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 4:Faulkner frequently uses archetypes; for example, juxtaposes dark and light symbolism frequently in the novel.Light stands for good while black stands for evils. Look for quotes / passages that employ archetypes and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 5:Faulkner employs various perspectives of time in the novel. Look for passages with these references that could define the role time in the novel and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 6:The organization of narration and style of the novel are intentional. Look for examples justifying the organization, style (Freudian, stream of consciousness, recursive reading), and chapter titles as well as their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 7: The effects of Caddy’s absent-presence are profound in this novel. Look for passages that indicate the effect of that absent presence on the major characters in the novel and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 8: People in this novel have difficulty reconciling the Southern Code of Decorum, honor, and pride. Why is this happening? Look for quotes that show the effects of violating or trying to maintain the Code as well as their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 9: The novel takes its title from Macbeth’s monologue. Look for quotes within the novel that demonstrate its applicability and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 10: Although red is a major symbol in the novel, it shifts its meaning. Look for quotes that demonstrate the symbolism of the red throughout the novel and especially those that show a shift, change, or another major theme as well as its impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 11: Each of the brothers has an opposing view of femininity that is singular. Look for quotes that illustrate the opposing views and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 12: The ideas of sin and redemption are prevalent throughout the novel. Look for examples and quotes to support this and their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 13: The theme of a declining, crumbling aristocratic family is found throughout the novel, particularly stemming from the Mother’s inattentiveness and hypochondria as well as the father’s cynicism and nihilistic perspective. Find examples and quotes that reflect the impact the parents have on the family’s decline, children’s actions, and the “Fall of the House of Compson” as well as their impact on the work as a whole.
Envelope 14: The questions of identity and the duality of sex are brought up throughout the novel. Find quotes and examples to support Faulkner’s perspective of each.
Envelope 15: The narration of the novel shifts repeatedly between memory and action. Look for quotes and examples to illustrate which Faulkner finds most effective for understanding the Compson family and their impact on the work as a whole.