Question

In Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, the character Quentin breaks a watch, given to him by his father, to escape from its ticking sound, which he finds intensely disturbing. Which archetypal idea does Quentin's watch likely symbolize?

the wasteful use of time

the fading memories of the past

the unstoppable passage of time

the unintended consequences of gifts

Answer 1

The correct answer is the unstoppable passage of time.

Quentin is a character obsessed with the past because in the past here were no moral issues troubling him. Nowadays, he keeps thinking of his sister and her behavior and the shame brought upon their family.