Quentin Compson
Encyclopedia
Quentin Compson is a fictional character
created by William Faulkner
. He is an intelligent, neurotic, and introspective son of the Compson Family. He is featured in the classic novels The Sound and the Fury
and Absalom, Absalom!
as well as the short stories, That Evening Sun
and "A Justice". Some of his thoughts are articulated with Faulkner's innovative stream-of-consciousness technique. In Absalom, Absalom!
, he attempts to solve and reflect on a mysterious tragedy in the past. The passage in The Sound and the Fury's entry gives more information about the character.
After moving North to study at Harvard College
, Compson eventually commits suicide
.
(commonly but incorrectly called Larz Anderson Bridge) over the Charles River
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, commemorates his life and death. The small brass plaque, the size of one brick, is located on the brick wall of the Eastern (Weld Boathouse
) side of the bridge, just North of the middle of the bridge span, about eighteen inches from the ground in a small alcove. It reads:
"QUENTIN COMPSON
Drowned in the odour of honeysuckle.
1891-1910"
Quentin Compson is also the name of his niece, the illegitimate daughter of his sister Candace (Caddy).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
. He is an intelligent, neurotic, and introspective son of the Compson Family. He is featured in the classic novels The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury is a novel written by the American author William Faulkner. It employs a number of narrative styles, including the technique known as stream of consciousness, pioneered by 20th century European novelists such as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Published in 1929, The Sound and...
and Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom! is a Southern Gothic novel by the American author William Faulkner, first published in 1936. It is a story about three families of the American South, taking place before, during, and after the Civil War, with the focus of the story on the life of Thomas Sutpen.-Plot...
as well as the short stories, That Evening Sun
That Evening Sun
"That Evening Sun" is a short story by the American author William Faulkner, published in 1931 on the collection These 13, which included Faulkner's most anthologized story, "A Rose for Emily". "That Evening Sun" is a dark portrait of white Southerners' indifference to the crippling fears of one of...
and "A Justice". Some of his thoughts are articulated with Faulkner's innovative stream-of-consciousness technique. In Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom! is a Southern Gothic novel by the American author William Faulkner, first published in 1936. It is a story about three families of the American South, taking place before, during, and after the Civil War, with the focus of the story on the life of Thomas Sutpen.-Plot...
, he attempts to solve and reflect on a mysterious tragedy in the past. The passage in The Sound and the Fury's entry gives more information about the character.
After moving North to study at Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, Compson eventually commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
The Sound and the Fury
A plaque on the Anderson Memorial BridgeAnderson Memorial Bridge
Anderson Memorial Bridge connects Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, and Cambridge. The bridge stands on the site of the Great Bridge built in 1662, the first structure to span the Charles River...
(commonly but incorrectly called Larz Anderson Bridge) over the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, commemorates his life and death. The small brass plaque, the size of one brick, is located on the brick wall of the Eastern (Weld Boathouse
Weld Boathouse
Weld Boathouse is a Harvard-owned building on the bank of the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is named after George Walker Weld, who bequeathed the funds for its construction.-History:...
) side of the bridge, just North of the middle of the bridge span, about eighteen inches from the ground in a small alcove. It reads:
"QUENTIN COMPSON
Drowned in the odour of honeysuckle.
1891-1910"
Quentin Compson is also the name of his niece, the illegitimate daughter of his sister Candace (Caddy).
Sources
- Bombardieri, Marcella. "Bridging Fact and Fiction Marker a Nod to Faulkner." The Boston Globe. January 19, 2001.