All Good Things Must Come to an End

As I pondered the significance of the ending of The Sound and the Fury, the thought crossed my mind that the significance of the ending might in fact be that there was no true and obvious ending. By saying that the book does not have a true ending I am not implying that Faulkner simply decided against concluding the novel in the standard way- with a solution to an ongoing problem or insight into each character's future. Instead I am suggesting that because events in the Compson household seem to continue as normal, and in addition a different story line (that of Jason's chase after Quentin) is introduced, Faulkner is concluding the novel by not logically concluding it. The fact that Jason is on the search for Quentin because he is positive she robbed him of his money shows the essence of Jason's character; always the first to blame, seek revenge, and never take the fault. Faulkner chose this part of the ending for a reason; like Jason, each other character is in his or her own element. There are no huge surprises or even much in the way of final remarks because the story finishes itself.