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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9549-1200

Date Available

5-1-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

English

Faculty

Carol Mason

Faculty

Matthew Giancarlo

Abstract

This thesis will take a look at the way Benjy Compson’s character in William Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury can be used to form an anti-eugenic argument. By taking a close look at the historical context of America’s twentieth century eugenic movement, the ways in which the novel presents an argument of personhood for those with disabilities come forth despite the eugenic pressures of the time. By taking the time to closely read Benjy’s section within the novel, a mix of disability studies and feminist disability studies, and understanding the complexity of character and stream of conscious writing, I present the argument that The Sound and the Fury resists the reductionistic view of disabled individuals that the eugenic movement campaigned for at the time of publication by presenting Benjy as a complete character.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.233

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