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Sutpen’s “design” symbolizes the limits of ambition and the inability of any person to exist outside the broader human story. Sutpen’s design—the term he and others use to describe his great ambition to achieve wealth and “respectability” in the plantation culture of the pre-war South—leads him to treat people with cold indifference, exploiting them to meet his ambitious ends. He does so believing that he can not only rise above the social and economic hierarchies that so disadvantaged him as a youth (Sutpen was born into a poor family and disrespected because of it), but also that he can achieve so much power that he may exist beyond the reach of society and other people altogether. Ultimately, though, Sutpen’s indifference toward and exploitation of others becomes his demise: his rejection of his illegitimate son Charles Bon due to Bon’s mixed-race ancestry deprives him of an heir to his dynasty when Sutpen’s legitimate son, Henry, murders Bon, forcing Henry to go into hiding. Later, he tries to produce a new heir by impregnating Wash Jones’s granddaughter Milly. But when Jones overhears Sutpen cruelly insult Milly for giving birth to a girl, he murders Sutpen in retaliation, effectively proving that Sutpen cannot pursue his ambition without taking into account how that ambition impacts others. Regardless of his aspirations to rise above his humble roots and above humanity altogether, he is nevertheless a part of the broader human story, and his actions have consequences.
Sutpen’s Design Quotes in Absalom, Absalom!
The Absalom, Absalom! quotes below all refer to the symbol of Sutpen’s Design . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3 Quotes
He brought the two women deliberately; he probably chose them with the same care and shrewdness with which he chose the other livestock—the horses and mules and cattle—which he bought later on.
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While waiting for it to be time to return to Miss Rosa Coldfield’s house to continue listening to her tell her story, Quentin listens to his father, Mr. Compson, tell his own story about Sutpen. Mr. Compson has just noted that an enslaved girl, Clytie, who lived on Sutpen’s estate, was in fact Sutpen’s daughter with one of the enslaved women he brought with him when he first came to Jefferson, Mississippi. Mr. Compson specifies that Sutpen “deliberately” brought the women with him, speculating that he “chose them with the same care and shrewdness with which he chose the other Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium.
Chapter 5 Quotes
I waited for him exactly as Judith and Clytie waited for him: because now he was all we had, all that gave us any reason for continuing to exist, to eat food and sleep and wake and rise again: knowing that he would need us, knowing as we did (who knew him) that he would begin at once to salvage what was left of Sutpen’s Hundred and restore it.
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This passage is an excerpt from one of Rosa’s longer monologues during which she relates to Quentin the story of Thomas Sutpen’s rise and fall and the havoc he wreaked on her family. Here, she describes how life went on after she started living at Sutpen’s Hundred following Henry’s murder of Charles Bon. At this point, Sutpen is still away serving in the Civil War, and his estate (like all the estates in the region) has suffered in his absence. Clytie, Judith, and Rosa make do the best they can in Sutpen’s absence, but they exist in a sort of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaq
I mean that he was not owned by anyone or anything in this world, had never been, would never be, not even by Ellen, not even by Jones’ granddaughter. Because he was not articulated in this world. He was a walking shadow.
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This passage is told from Miss Rosa’s perspective. In it, she defends herself against rumors and accusations that she has never forgiven Thomas Sutpen for insulting her, which led to her calling off their engagement, fleeing Sutpen’s Hundred, and living out the rest of her days as a shut-in. Rosa claims that there was in fact nothing to blame Sutpen for in the first place, as “he was not owned by anyone or anything in this world.” She describes him as “not articulated in this world,” comparing him to “a walking shadow” rather than a physical entity tangibly tied to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique p
Chapter 7 Quotes
“So he just wanted a grandson,” he said. “That was all he was after. Jesus, the South is fine, isn’t it. It’s better than the theatre, isn’t it. It’s better than Ben Hur, isn’t it. No wonder you have to come away now and then, isn’t it.”
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Quentin is at Harvard, telling his roommate Shreve the story of Sutpen that Mr. Compson and Miss Rosa Coldfield related to him in the first half of the novel. For the most part, the scenes between Quentin and Shreve consist of Shreve retelling excerpts of the Sutpen story that he’s already heard from Quentin and then turning to Quentin for clarification that he’s understood everything correctly. Shreve also interjects with glib (sometimes to the point of being disrespectful) commentary about the South that expresses his amusement at some of the more unbelievable elements of Quentin’s story and highlights his outsider’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui
“His trouble was innocence. All of a sudden he discovered, not what he wanted to do but what he just had to do, had to do it whether he wanted to or not, because if he did not do it he knew that he could never live with himself for the rest of his life […].”
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This passage comes from the section of the novel that summarizes Sutpen’s origins. It’s told from Quentin’s perspective, and based on the story his father, Mr. Compson, told him (which was based on the facts of Sutpen’s life that Sutpen himself told to Mr. Compson’s father, General Compson). Here, Quentin describes Sutpen’s reaction to the enslaved man redirecting him toward the back door of the planter’s mansion, a formative childhood experience that effectively shaped the entire trajectory of Sutpen’s life from that point forward, giving birth to the fierce ambition that would fuel his so-called “design.” This section of the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Volupta
“[…] ‘I found that she was not and could never be, through no fault of her own, adjunctive or incremental to the design which I had in mind, so I provided for her and put her aside.’ […]”
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This quote is Sutpen’s supposed explanation to General Compson for why he abandoned his first wife (Eulalia Bon) and their son (Charles Bon). Regardless, Sutpen’s explanation for his choice gives readers insight into Sutpen’s character, the way he interacts with others, his extreme ambition, and the core values his “design” rests upon. Sutpen’s description of why he chose to abandon Eulalia and Bon—an act that is cruel, racist, and morally reprehensible—is frank and emotionless. He doesn’t express anger at learning about Eulalia’s mixed-race ancestry, and he explicitly notes that he doesn’t blame or think ill of Eulalia for her ancestry—he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic
Chapter 8 Quotes
—Yes. What else can I do now? I gave him the choice. I have been giving him the choice for four years.
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This passage is Bon’s response to Henry after Henry pleads with Bon not to marry Judith—Henry’s sister and Bon’s half-sister. Despite Henry’s earlier acceptance of Bon’s plan to go through with the incestuous marriage (which, in this version of the story, he formulates in order to get back at Sutpen for abandoning him and then failing to acknowledge him as his son), Henry rescinds his approval after learning of Bon’s mixed-race ancestry. Here, Bon shifts the blame away from himself and toward Sutpen. For the past four years, ever since Henry first brought Bon home to visit Sutpen’s Hundred (at Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel v
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Sutpen’s Design Symbol Timeline in Absalom, Absalom!
The timeline below shows where the symbol Sutpen’s Design appears in Absalom, Absalom!. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
...continue telling the story to Quentin’s grandfather, perhaps because Sutpen was too busy “furthering that design which he had in mind.” In those intervening years, he finished his house and settled...
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Shreve urges Quentin to continue the story of Sutpen’s “design,” and Quentin obliges, telling the story Sutpen resumed telling to Quentin’s grandfather 30 years after...
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...in the past and all that he could ever accomplish in the future toward that design.”
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...conversation, Sutpen laments the fact that whichever course he decides to take going forward, the “design” to which he’s dedicated so much of his life will be ruined. His first option...
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...third time,” but he was worried about having enough time to start and finish his design (he’s now in his sixties). So, upon his return to Sutpen’s Hundred, he immediately gets...
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