Sounder by William H. Armstrong
"Sounder" is a novel by William H. Armstrong that tells a poignant story set in early 20th-century rural America, exploring themes of poverty, family, and resilience. The narrative centers around a young boy whose family faces significant hardships after his father is imprisoned for stealing food to feed them. As the boy assumes new responsibilities within the family, he also embarks on a quest to find his beloved dog, Sounder, who has run away after being injured during the father's arrest. Throughout the story, the boy navigates various challenges, including caring for his siblings and supporting his mother as she struggles to provide for the family.
The novel is notable for its delicate portrayal of the realities of being black and poor during this time, while also serving as an animal fable that highlights the bond between humans and their pets. As the boy grows and encounters a kind schoolmaster who encourages his education, the narrative celebrates hope and perseverance. The eventual reunion of the boy with his father and Sounder, albeit brief and bittersweet, underscores the themes of love and loss. "Sounder" is recognized for its timeless qualities and universal appeal, resonating with readers across generations and cultures, making it a classic in children's literature.
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Subject Terms
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
First published: 1969; illustrated
Type of work: Social realism
Themes: Animals, education, family, race and ethnicity, and social issues
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 10-15
Locale: The rural South, probably western Virginia
Principal Characters:
The Boy , a sensitive ten-year-old, who learns to endure life’s unexpected crueltiesThe boy’s Father , a black sharecropper who, unwilling to see his family go hungry, steals food for them and is caught and sentenced to prisonThe boy’s Mother , kind, loving, and long-suffering, who struggles to keep her family together when her husband is imprisonedSounder , the dog, a mixture of Georgia redbone hound and bulldog, maimed during his master’s capture
The Story
In terms of its setting and subject matter, Sounder could perhaps be described as a protest novel; yet the story is told with such delicacy and control that it transcends mere protest. Sounder is at once an animal fable of sorts—a story of the proverbial dog as man’s best friend—and the story of the coming-of-age of a small boy who faces a multitude of hardships. Furthermore, Sounder examines certain realities of being black and poor in rural America during the early part of the twentieth century.
After the father has been caught and imprisoned for stealing a ham and pork sausages to feed his hungry family, the responsibilities of the man of the house fall to his ten-year-old son. The young boy cares for the younger children and shoulders most of the chores around the house, while his mother tries to keep food on the table by selling shelled walnuts in town. When the father is put to work on a road gang, the boy goes in search of him day after day, hoping to bring home word of his father’s well-being. In the meantime, the boy waits patiently for the return of the family’s beloved dog, Sounder, who, severely wounded during the arrest of his master, has run off, either to die or to heal himself.
During the course of the six-year period covered by the novel, the family suffers numerous heartbreaks but remains together as a family unit, hopeful that someday the father will rejoin them. One day the boy meets a kindly schoolmaster who invites him to attend school in town and work in exchange for room and board. This is one of the boy’s happiest moments, and one of the family’s greatest triumphs. Also, Sounder returns, having healed himself in the woods, but still carrying the scars from the sheriff deputy’s gunshot. Gone, too, is Sounder’s deep, melodious bark, but he has nevertheless returned to wait for his master.
One hot August day, the boy and his mother spy a figure limping toward them in the distance. To them the figure is unrecognizable, but Sounder immediately recognizes him as his long-lost master, and, regaining his voice in a loud bark of its former richness, limps out to welcome his master home. The father is now paralyzed on the left side from being caught in a blast of dynamite, and the remainder of his prison sentence has been commuted because of the extent of his injuries. The family is reunited, although briefly, for the father soon dies, as does Sounder, and the boy returns to town to finish school.
Context
Sounder is William Armstrong’s first novel for young readers. Having spent a career in education and publishing scholarly matters, Armstrong has turned to his own experience as a child growing up in Lexington, Virginia, as the chief motivation for writing the story. The author, who is white, writes of having been greatly influenced by an old black man, who was both teacher and friend in his community. Sounder, according to Armstrong, is this man’s story.
The book’s chief importance lies in its treatment of its various themes. It concludes, especially through the character of the boy, that the good things in life can be achieved through faith, determination, and persistence. Furthermore, there is a timeless quality to Sounder, for even though the story is set during a particular era, it holds that life’s tragedies and triumphs are ageless and applicable to all people, in all places, at all times. This universal quality probably accounts not only for Sounder’s original acclaim but for its perennial popularity with readers, especially young readers, and critics as well. Sounder is an enduring work of classic proportions.