Comparison of Point of View based on Gérard Genette’s Focalization theory in Sophocles’ Ajax and Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury

Sophocles’ Ajax is among the most significant plays in ancient Greek literature, and William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is an important modern novel. This study considers these two works using Gérard Genette’s Focalization term in Narratology theory. Focalization is a feature of the point of view in narrative and is described by characters’ action, emotional reaction and speech. This study investigates the narratives of the main characters in both works based on Genett’s theory. The main point in comparing these two works is how focalization is formed in each text regarding the narrative of each character, emotional and cognitive conditions in which characters consider the event and what kind of action do they take based on that conditions. This paper uses qualitative research method and is based on library research and record keeping. It analyzes the written resources using content analysis and descriptive method, while exploring both texts comparatively and applicably. The results show that focalization is transferred from one character to another in both works and both can be compared based on the resemblance of the narrative’s direction.