Summary
Sounder, a Newbery Medal-winning novel by William H. Armstrong, is a poignant tale of resilience and hope set in the rural South. Published in 1969, this young adult book explores themes of poverty, racial injustice, and the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog. The story's precise time and location are deliberately left ambiguous, lending it a timeless quality that resonates with readers across generations. Armstrong also refrains from using character names, instead referring to individuals by their roles or relationships. This approach adds a universal dimension to the story, allowing readers to more easily relate to the characters' experiences. The titular character, Sounder, is the family's loyal coon dog and serves as a symbol of unwavering faithfulness throughout the tale.
Plot
Set in the Deep South during a time of poverty and racial inequality, Sounder tells the story of an African-American sharecropper family and their loyal coon dog. The unnamed boy at the center of the narrative lives with his parents and siblings, struggling to survive on meager rations. His father and Sounder, the family dog, hunt nightly to supplement their diet, but their efforts are often fruitless.
One morning, the family awakens to the aroma of ham cooking. Their brief moment of plenty is shattered when the sheriff arrives to arrest the father for theft. As he's taken away, Sounder chases after the wagon and is shot by a deputy, disappearing into the wilderness. The boy searches tirelessly for the injured dog, finding only a piece of its ear, while his mother warns him not to cling to false hope.
In his father's absence, the boy takes on more responsibilities at home. He also embarks on a quest to find his father, traveling to various work camps and prisons. During one such visit, he encounters a kind teacher who offers to educate him. With his mother's blessing, the boy seizes this opportunity to learn to read, splitting his time between school and fieldwork.
Years pass before the father returns home, physically broken from his time in prison. Sounder, who had eventually found his way back to the family, reunites joyfully with his master. Shortly after, both the father and Sounder pass away. Despite these losses, the story concludes on a note of hope, as the boy has achieved his dream of literacy and looks forward to a brighter future.
Themes
Struggle against racism and injustice
Importance of education and literacy
Resilience in the face of adversity
Bond between humans and animals
Coming of age and loss of innocence
Family loyalty and sacrifice
Hope and perseverance in difficult times
Setting
Set in the Deep South during the late 19th or early 20th century, Sounder takes place against the backdrop of racial segregation and economic hardship. The story unfolds in a rural, agrarian setting where sharecropping was a common practice for struggling African-American families. While the exact location is not specified, the novel mentions Bartow and Gilmer counties. The characters' lives revolve around their small cabin and the surrounding farmland, where they labor to cultivate crops and hunt for food. The harsh realities of poverty and racism are ever-present in this environment.
The era is characterized by the use of mule-drawn wagons and the existence of chain gangs, placing the story sometime before 1955 when such practices were abolished. This historical context provides a vivid backdrop for the family's struggles and the boy's quest for education, highlighting the systemic inequalities and limited opportunities faced by African-Americans in the rural South during this period.
Characters
The Boy: The unnamed protagonist of the story. He is a young African-American boy living in the rural South with his sharecropper family. Determined and resilient, he searches tirelessly for his father after his arrest and yearns for an education. The boy's journey from illiteracy to becoming educated forms a central part of the narrative.
Sounder: The family's loyal coon dog and the novel's namesake. Sounder is a powerful hunting dog known for his loud, carrying bark. After being shot by deputies, he disappears for months before returning home severely injured. Sounder's resilience parallels the family's struggle and perseverance.
The Father: The boy's father, an African-American sharecropper struggling to provide for his family. Driven by desperation, he steals a ham, leading to his arrest and imprisonment. His absence profoundly affects the family, especially the boy. Despite the hardships he faces, he maintains a strong bond with his son and Sounder.
The Mother: The boy's mother, a strong and resilient woman who holds the family together in her husband's absence. She supports her son's quest for education while working hard to provide for the family by selling walnuts. Her quiet strength and wisdom guide the boy throughout the story.
The Teacher: An elderly schoolteacher who offers to educate the boy. He shows kindness and compassion, tending to the boy's wounds and providing him with an opportunity to learn. The teacher plays a crucial role in fulfilling the boy's dream of becoming literate.
The Sheriff and Deputies: They represent the oppressive system that unjustly targets the boy's father. Their cruel treatment of both the family and Sounder exemplifies the racial injustice prevalent in the setting.
Quick facts
Sounder won the Newbery Medal, one of the most prestigious awards in children's literature, in 1970.
With the exception of the dog, Sounder, none of the characters in the novel are given names.
The setting of the story is intentionally ambiguous, though certain details suggest it takes place in the American South.
William H. Armstrong wrote the book in just three weeks.
Armstrong’s inspiration for the novel was a folktale he heard from an elderly African American teacher.
Sounder has been frequently challenged and banned in schools due to its depiction of racism.
Armstrong originally intended the book to be for adults, not children.
In 1972, Sounder was adapted into a critically acclaimed film, directed by Martin Ritt and starring Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards.
A second film adaptation was made in 2003, featuring some actors from the original 1972 version in different roles.
Sounder has been translated into more than 30 languages.
About the Author
William H. Armstrong (1911-1999) was an American author and educator best known for his young adult novel Sounder, focusing on the struggles of an African-American sharecropping family. Published in 1969, Sounder won the Newbery Medal and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1970 and was adapted into a film in 1972, earning four Academy Award nominations.
Born in Lexington, Virginia, Armstrong grew up on a farm and struggled in school due to asthma and poor eyesight. Despite these challenges, he developed a love for stories, particularly those from the Bible, which would later influence his writing style. After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College in 1936, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Virginia. He then worked as a farmer, carpenter, and stonemason before becoming a history teacher at Kent School in Connecticut, where he taught for 52 years. He launched his career as an author in 1956 with a study guide written at the request of his school’s headmaster, Study Is Hard Work.
After the success of Sounder, Armstrong continued to write historical and biblical novels, including The Sour Land, The Mills of God, and Hadassah: Esther the Orphan Queen. Throughout his career, Armstrong received numerous accolades for his contributions to literature and education, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College. His Newbery Medal has a permanent home in the William Armstrong children's book section at Bortz Library at Hampden-Sydney College.
