Comment on some aspect of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. You can ask questions, discuss meaningful quotations or symbols, comment on your experiences reading the novel, etc. Note: this is not a forum for your complaints.
I want to encourage you to respond to your classmates and help them understand this very complex novel. Build upon what others have already said.
You must post at least once before Friday, March 6th for credit. You may, of course, continue to post after that date as we continue to discuss this novel. Use this as your sounding board for ideas we didn't cover in class.
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62 comments:
I like this novel so far, even though it is hard to read sometimes. I think that Cady is definately and important charachter because she is one of the few people who are genuinely nice to Benjy. The fact that the mention of her name and her previous claim to "run away" make Benjy cry reveal the strong connection that Benjy feels to his sister. He notices when she changes, and signifies it by saying whether or not she "smells like trees". I'm interested to find out what happens to her throughout the novel, after all she gets married, but if it is to Charlie, it seems like it will probably not be the happiest marriage, since he was too "attentive" for her when Benjy found them.
Also, I just started reading the Quentin section and I found an interesting quote that I think will be important part of the theme topic we wee developing in class on time. Quentin is looking at the watch his father gave him and relates what his father told him when he gave it to him. "I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire". Pg 48. I thought that this was an interesting quote because it suggests that trying to kep track of time ruins "hope and desire", since it refers to the clock as a "mausoleum". This seems very morbid to me, but does have some truth to it.
I think that while this novel is difficult to understand, Faulkner does a brilliant job in illustrating the effects time has on different people. Benjy has no concept on the past and present and views everything as occuring now- which can be pretty annoying. His objective viewpoint allows the reader to decifer the meaning behind all the action around him. However, I just began Quentin's portion tonight and he seems almost obsessed with time. The constant ticking of the watch, even after he breaks the glass, shows that time is prevalent and can never be conquered. Like his father said, "Victory is just an illusion." One cannot avoid the oppressiveness of time and its affects. I think the fact that Quentin feels trapped in the ever-changing world and his sister's shame that she brought upon the family is what ultimately leads to his suicide. This is his only escape.
I agree with Bethany about the effects of time on people, it is something we had discussed in our letters in class. I found it interesting that without a concept of time in Benjy's section, the writing seems confusing and even mad. The writing seems to reflect the maddness that consumes Benjy's world. I also want to find out what is going on with Caddy after she leaves because I thought she was the only one with a real connection to Benjy.
i have liked this novel so far, even if it is difficult to understand sometimes. Caddy should be an interesting character b/c so far the only view we have of her is from Benjy's point of view and i don't think he could ever see anything wrong with her. Im curious to see how the other members of the family view her and see if Benjy's viewpoint might be biased b/c she has always been nice to him. I want to see how she treats the rest of the family and vice versa. Also the central scene where Caddy is looking in on her grandmother's funeral is a bit confusing to me right now b/c i don't really understand the significance yet.
I like the novel so far. Even though Benjy's point of view is confusing, I like his objectivity. His view of the story seems to be very honest because he is just giving us the blunt details as he sees them; it is up to us to think for him and give those details meaning. The hardest part of the section is just understanding what Benjy is talking about. I agree with Jake; it is hard to see the significance of the tree scene so far. The only thing I can tell is that she is going up the tree, while her daughter travels down a tree each night to visit her suitors. This shows that Caddy is trying to better herself and feels bad about the things she does, whereas Quentin feels no remorse about her actions. Caddy is forced away it seems, and Quentin leaves on her own. The repetition of "Caddy smells like trees," seems to keep hinting at the Caddy's climbing up to see the funeral, but I cannot grasp the whole significance yet. Benjy helps us see the significance in things because he moans and cries when things change. Benjy's lack of a concept of time demonstrates how great an impact the past has on the present. I don't think Benjy is biased because I don't think he is really able to be. I am interested in seeing what really happens with Caddy from all the points of view. The section was a good start to the novel because it helps me get into the mindset of chaos that seems to be breaking down the family.
I like the book as a whole. I am having a hard time with putting the events that go together in Benjy's Section. I understand what is going on just not which parts go together. The worksheet given to us today helped but I am still a little confused. Benjy just has no sense of time because he does not know what is happening in the present or has happened in the past. He is a very crucial part of the novel because without him the novel would not have a non-biased point of view. Also, he has some really special connection with Caddy and it seems to have something to do with nature. Is this having to do with her climbing the tree? and if so why is this even so important that he references to her smelling like trees?
I like what I can understand! But overall it is a good book.
I took a gander at the site you posted in the next blog, and it is definitely going to be helpful because only being a several pages into Quentin's section I could tell he was very intense and confusing and jumping around constantly. I really enjoyed Benjy's perspective though. Although he has a "lack" of emotions, such as "I like Caddy," I was able to pick up on his "emotional" moments, like when he uses his sense ("Caddy smelled like trees.") His transitions were actually pretty easy, I only had difficult figuring out which scene it went to. I'm really excited to see what Quentin has to say because he gives more commentary.
After only being several pages into Quentin's section, I've already noticed how often he refers to his watch, a clock, or some sort of reference to time. I believe his perspective of time will be similar to Benjy's in that his past haunts him and he almost "relives" it in the present, which may be what drives him to suicide. I'm not sure, but I'm about to go find out because I'm about to read. (:
As Mallory mentioned, Quentin's frequent reference to time cannot be overlooked. I appreciated Mr. Compson's perception about time: that it can only have vitality outside the constraints of clocks. I regret my complaining about Benjy's section, as Quentin's is blatantly more challenging.
I honestly really do like this book! It's obviously a very tough one to read, but once you get used to Faulkner's style, it's really easy to get pulled into the story. I love Benjy's section. I know we discussed this in class, but I think he's probably one of the most reliable narrators this story could have. Being mentally handicapped, he provides a raw, innocent, and unbiased point of view that the other characters can not bring. Just like the first sentence suggests, Benjy literally views the world through a hole in a fence. Though to most people this type of existence seems horrid, it's all he knows. I like how Faulkner uses his disability to avoid the fluff that most narrations have. Benjy is able to get to heart of what really happened, and I think that's really cool.
i am really liking this novel so far. It is really interesting. I love how Falkner writes. I think that the reason the four sections revolve around Caddy is because she is so important to all of the other characters lives that they are reminicing on what they have taken for granted. I don't know. just a thought. quientin's section is very monotone and his thinking is stream of conciousness. I really like it. but I'm sure that i am missing so many important facts like in Benjy's just because of the difficulty of the way its written. I can't wait to finish this book and be like chyeaaa. i just read that.
i'm pumped.
woo !
This novel is definitely complex but I am enjoying every minute of reading it. While reading Benjy's section, I realized that even though it makes little to no sense (not a complaint) it pieces together in a way that is hard to explain. Even though Faulkner's writing jumps back and forth-drunken ramblings- it still seems to capture the struggle that Benjy faces on a day to day basis. The most clever part of the first section is when Benjy says Caddy "smells like tress" bu then when she loses her innocence, the smell is gone. The smell that he associates with his Caddy leaves and eventually she does too. Benjy cracks me up with his ability to ruin every couple's private moments. My next comment is one of incredulity. How dare they send a handicapped person to deliver sexual love letters! Those sick perverts. Poor Benjy is just doing what he is asked to do and he gets beat up. That has no relevance but I had to vent. The part of this section that captured me the most is that even though Benjy doesn't catch on, I realized no one in his immediate family besides Caddy cares for him. They want to ship him off or keep him out of the way for their social affairs. No wonder Benjy is crying and moaning all of the time. His best friend leaves him and he has literally no one who cares about him and he also gets castrated because of her. The poor guy deserves a break. I've heard Quentin's section is even more difficult than Benjy's so I suppose i'll be moving onto that now. Good Luck everyone.
So far, Benjy and Quentin's sections have proved to be very different. Benjy's point of view is very honest and reliable. He calls things exactly as he sees them and does not have any judgments on anyone; however, his factual report of events actually reveals a lot more about characters than intended. Benjy reveals Caddy's kind and maternal nature without any sort of compliment or comment, just by simply stating the facts.
I haven't read all of Quentin's section but his seems to be much more complex and intellectual. He has an obvious obsession with time that can't be overlooked. My favorite quote is Quentin's father's when he gives Quentin the watch. He says, "I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it." This might not relate to the novel, but maybe its trying say that time should be precious but not overly concentrated on? I think that's Quentin's obsession; time is going on with out any of his control. Like the way he tries to get back on pace when his counting is interrupted and he tries to speed up to get back on par but he can't. It's kinda like the effort we put to control things like time and other things we can't control. I probably have no idea what I'm talking about :)
I agree with Rachel in thinking that Benjy could perhaps be the most reliable narrator the story can have. Although I sometimes question how much information we're really getting out of the scenes, I think overall that Benjy gives a pretty good depiction of the main points of what's going on. And to bring up Caddy in the tree, I found it interesting that her underwear were dirty, and she seems ashamed. I think it foreshadows her bad reputation being ruined, and she and her family have to deal with the consequences. I like the novel so far even though it takes me forever to read! :) I think that website will help though.
I thought it was interesting as we were reading Quentin's section in class today when we came to a particular quote that we weren't sure what its signifigance was. The quote was "Jesus walking on Galilee and Washington not telling lies." My personal input, which anyone can feel free to misconstrue the same way I might have, is that the quote is referring to exact facts, things that never change. This tied in with the whole motif of time in Quentin's section. These two events, were things that occurred in the past that will never change. Quentin tries to live with the burden (Jesus symbolism here)of the past (i.e. Caddy's loss of virginity) which is why he never seems to want to know the current time (rejecting the present). I feel like I get this novel right now.
I'm really liking this novel right now, and I actually find myself really absorbed in its events. I really liked Benjy's point of view, and I think that his view really helped me establish the personalities of the characters, which is funny because he does not know how to word them himself, but he is able to explain them through the imagery he uses with them. I really like the character of Caddy, and I love how she actually takes the time to be kind to Benjy. Although, she sacrifices certain maturation processes for the sake of Benjy, I don't think she is significantly harmed by that. I find that when Benjy misses Caddy, I miss her too. I had gotten so used to Benjy's point of view that I worried I would have trouble with Quentin's section, but I find that I love it all the same. I had several questions from what I have read so far of Quentin's section, but Charbonnet answered them today. I had my suspicians that Quentin was gay, but I had gotten confused and thought that he really had slept with Caddy. The lecture notes from today really helped bring a lot more meaning and helped clarify themes in Benjy's section, and I can't wait to read the rest of the novel!
I love all the symbolism and how its all so reoccurring in the first two sections so far. I don't know if anyone has seen the movie Stranger Than Fiction, but Quentin's meticulousness and obsessiveness reminds me a lot of Harold Crick who also has a watch working as a symbol for his essence of time. Harold is not aware of the impact his watch is having on him, but like Quentin he seems to realize that he needs to break from the control of time and just like the idea that Quentin's father said that only when the clock dies does time come to life. Although this symbolizes Quentin's suicide, i can appreciate that he wants to break away from the materialistic demands of his impact on society and spend real time for himself and no one else. However i like Harold cricks outlook in the end alot better. He finds out he is going to die and vows to make every last moment he lives the most interesting beautiful and changing moments possible, learning how to play guitar like he always dreams to as a kid and defeating his fear of talking to women which is also a similar feminine like trait Quentin shares. Ultimately the watch literally saves Harold's life in the in unlike Quentin but i think its over all the same idea. Im obsessed with this book so far.
I could be totally wrong, but in Quentin's section, I wondered if the little Italian girl represented death in some way. He kept connecting death with Caddy, but I wondered if the Italian girl has something to do with death because she follows him around, and she has a "black and friendly" stare. But maybe I completely missed the point (I've do this a lot).
I really struggled with the end of Quentin's section because there were no capital letters or punctuation marks. It was rambling and crazy, which I guess represents how Quentin was beginning to lose touch with reality because he was about to commit suicide.
Although this novel is confusing and gives me a headache, I like it. At first it's hard to understand and grasp the concept, but after discussing in class it makes much more since and I appreciate it for its complexity. In Quentin's section I thought that the quote,“I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire; it's rather excruciating-ly apt that you will use it to gain the reducto absurdum of all human experience which can fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's. I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools” (Pg. 48-49)is a eye opener for me because I never looked at the passing of time that way before. Although it seems very morbid I find it truthful in a since. Although I can't say I'm excited about reading the rest of the book, I do look forward to accomplishing the task. But overall I do appreciate Faulkner's complexity of thought as a whole.
I actually like the novel so far, well the parts that I can understand. I thought Benjy's section was difficult to read, but Quentin's section I think is worse because there is so many stories, interruptions, and symbolism. The time symbol in Quentin's section seems to be a very important part of this section. It seems like he counts down until it is time to kill himself. But after i was dow with that section I actually do not remember reading that he committed suicide. I am sure it hinted at it towards the end but i guess i missed it. The scene where Caddy and Quentin want to commit suicide; I was confused because i understand why Caddy would, even though suicide is not the answer to one's problems, but i did not understand why Quentin does. Is it because what Caddy did that hurt the family so much or does he just have some issues?
So I agree with mostly everyone that thinks Quentin's section is much more challenging! Benjy's section revealed much more about the characters because of his perspective of the world. He sees what really happens and is able to report truthfully because he sees them without the emotional understanding of the other people. Quentin, on the other hand, is much more biased in his section and not as honest. Quentin's obsessive tendency with time and the past lead him to his suicide. I think that maybe Faulkner is trying to suggest that if people let the past torment them, then they will be unable to move on and it can eventually lead to their destruction. Quentin has had a very hard life and no one really to look up to; but he fails to build and grow from the these experiences, therefore allowing his present life to be run by his past.
I love this almost as much as I loved 'Catcher in the Rye' when we read it junior year. It was really tough to understand at first, but after I learned how to read it (with the differing text faces) it made alot of sense. I really like Quentin for some reason, but I feel bad for him also. He's obsessed with time, which is party of his fixation with Caddy. Also, Benjy is sort of 'stuck' in time, which shows the reason for his fixation on Caddy. I don't see what the big deal is about her, beside the fact that she's kind of a loose-y goose-y.
Benjy's section is definitely my favorite so far. It was riviting, and emotional. So much so that I couldn't put it down and didn't realize how fast I had moved. Benjy's section, by nature, must be the most honest of the four. Mainly for the simple reason thatr Benjy does not have the aptitude to lie, he knows no evil, only adversity. Benjy revealed many things about the other characters: Caroline Compson is selfish, chail-like and dispicable; Caddy stepped in as the mother, protector and nurturer; Quentin seems to get pushed to the background, which may be a cause of his suicide(?); Jason is the favorite child. Which I have a problem with, mothers should love all children equally. Quentins section was easier for me to read, but I was bored out of my mind. I wanted to tell him to get to the point, hurry up already. He focused on time and its elusiveness, death, and change. I found it strange that Quentin's section occurs on the day of his suicide, but we dont see much of the results of his decision. In fact, we don't see him do anything final.
I agree with the people that say time is a very important aspect. It is everywhere! It controls Benjy's narrative, and it controls Quentin's life. The changes in time make the novel very difficult to understand at times, but at the same time, they are very important. Time controls Benjy's narrative because he has no concept of time. His thoughts and ideas all run together as if they were happening all at the same time. Quentin is obsessed with time and it ultimately causes him to take his own time. Faulkner makes time kind of a scary thing, but everything he says about it is the truth.
Even though Father is a depressing, alcoholic nihilist, I think he offers a lot of interesting commentary.
"Men invented virginity not women. Father said it's like death: only a state in which the others are left." Father touches on the idea that purity is an illusion. It is also not necessarily a virtue, but instead, a lack of something essential (like death is a lack of life), since people are only "left" in the state of virginity.
"A man is the sum of his misfortunes...time is your misfortune." Father is talking to Quentin. I think its pretty interesting that Father seems to know Quentin best and understands his neurotic obsession with time. He understands how his son is a slave to the arbitrary tickings of mechanical hands.
"All men are just accumulations dolls stuffed with sawdust swept up from the trash heaps where all previous dolls had been thrown away." In accordance with his nihilistic views, Father sees mankind as weak and flimsy, unable to have any control over their lives and surroundings. This quote might also imply that Father sees people only as bad copies of each other.
"You wanted to sublimate a piece of natural human folly into a horror and then exorcise it with truth." Father is very perceptive about Quentin, immediately seeing through his lie about incest with Caddy. He also sees how Quentin tries so hard to believe the lie because it's what he wishes had happened.
I really like the novel so far, especially Benjy's section. I really had to slow down and focus on Quentin's section because it was way more difficult. It helps, especially in Benjy's part, that Faulkner changes the font to italics when the time changes.
I agree with everyone else who posted about time; especially in Quentin's section, it is a common topic and I think it reflects how much can happen to a family over a certain amount of time. So much so that Quentin is obsessed with it.
My favorite quote so far is "But then I suppose it takes at least one hour to lose time in, who has been longer than history getting into the mechanical progression of it." This quote is from Quentin's section and I think it portrays both his obsession with time and his foreshadowing of his ending his time on earth.
First of all, I like your new setting and your puppy is very cute. Aside from being very confusing, I like the novel a lot. Why does Quentin soak his clothes in gasoline and why did he by weights? Wouldn't setting yourself on fire and then drowning yourself be a little uneffective? I like the symbolism of the watch and the idea that it is there to help him forget time for a bit instead of worrying about it. I think Quentin's father is definitely right about that part. Time is the fall of lots of people because it's the one thing that is impossible to control. I also like the quote that says, "That's when I realized a n***** is not a person but a form of behavior; an obverse reflection of a white man's idea." I love that quote and I think if everyone would realize that a person is want you make them we wouldn't have all the problems we have today. I like the depth of this novel.
I think that this novel is really interesting so far, especially after reading from the point of view of a retarded man and a man about to commit suicide. For both of these men, time seems to be the only common factor. For Benjy, time is a concept that he is unable to grasp, creating even more confusion in his life. In Quentin's case, he has a grasp on the concept of time, but is haunted by it. His past and present only bring his despair. I think that his struggle with time is the main cause of his depression and suicide. Also, I think that it is interesting how Quentin attempts to preserve the ideals of the Old South, yet he respects Deacon, the African American man who he befriended at Harvard.
This is Ashley...
Picking up on what Andrea said about the little Italian girl, she seemed to represent temptation to me. Even though Quentin wanted her to go, she kept reappearing. She stayed relatively quiet and when Quentin first saw her she looked very innocent yet mysterious, like she might be trouble--which is exactly how temptation appears the the untrained or naive eye.
The relationship between Caddy and Benjy is seems very mother-son like. Benjy's actual mother is more wary and pitying, like a semi-interested neighbor who doesn't want the...uniqueness...of Benjy to affect her.
I don't think Quentin can get his ideals straight. His father definitely impacts his thoughts, which is why he even considers suicide in the first place--if someone constantly tells you time and therefore life are irrelevant, then it's difficult to shake the feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. On the same note, Quentin makes sure that everything is in order to make things easier for his family and friends after he's gone (in the way of notes, material possessions, no messes, etc.) So his conflicting thoughts lead me to think his choice of dying method--water--is because water is typically seen as purification. Quentin will find life's purification in death, even though suicide is a sin. Faulkner throws religion in our faces, so is he suggesting that people harness religion as both a crutch and a restraint with these contrasting beliefs that meet in the middle in an almost hypocritical way?
I must say, I couldn't distinguish anything in Benjy's section and was completely confused because of the stream of conciousness writing. But in Quentin's section I went and read the entire thing in the color-coded version from the site, and it made things SO much easier. I like it now that I understand it. But specifically, the thing that got me was the references to shadows in Quentin's section. About halfway I remembered Psalm 23 and I believe it has some relation to the book, (Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death), especially since he is always looking at his shadow while he is knowingly going to commit suicide soon.
My favorite part of this novel has been the extremely differing view points. Each of the Compson Brothers brings something unique to the story. Whether it's Benjy's simple, sensory filled, honest depiction, Quentin's obsession with purity and order, or even Json's almost evil outlook on life, each brother contributes something different. However each revolves around Caddy. With B and Q, Caddy is caring and is a major woman in their lives. I am interested to read about JAson's connection to Caddy. Will he give us another side of her character?
Ok so at first I got confused as to what was happening but I wasn't the only one of course. I just feel really realy bad for Benjy. It really is depressing to think of living in his shoes. Quentin's view point isn't any better only worse. Everyone is constantly complaining, whining, crying or just being abusive to each other. Its just chaos and insanity. Why would anyone want to live there. Faulkner has created the most disfunctional family he could think of then put them in a novel and twisted it by having the story told from different perspectives including a mentally retarded man. That's just talent. I personally don't understand how people can do it. but if i had to give my opinion of the book its really not as bad as i thought.
oh and mrs. charbonnet
i went out and bought the book and you were not here to give me the book check you said you would give me. so i assume you will give it when ever you return?
So far the main focuses of the novel seem to be Caddy and her maturation. Both Benjy and Quentin have obtained a different type of love for Caddy, Quentin's being a little weird. They both want to keep Caddy pure and innocent for as long as possible. Maybe Faulkner is trying to say something about staying youthful? The whole family is pretty messed up though, it seems they have every possible type of looked down on character. Benjy, who is an idiot, yet tells the story in every detail. Quentin, who has a strange obsession with his sister and time. And Caddy, who is considered a whore by family. The novel is touching on many aspects of life, but death and youth is appearing more.
Quentin so far has been the most intriguing character to me because of his complexity. I cannot help but empathize with him as he struggles to adapt to a different code of morals surrounding him than he believes in. He is very intelligent, but he does not seem to have much emotional maturity. It's like he was raised to think in black and white; and now that he has discovered that life is composed of mostly gray areas, he cannot cope. Another thing that struck me was Quentin's constant reference to his shadow, which I believe could have several different meanings. For one, it obviously correlates to his obsession of time. However, I also think it ties into the baggage he carries around with him from his family, as well as the darkness he believes follows him because of the events in his past.
I was caught by parallel aspects in the Benjy and Quentin sections that intrigued me a bit. I noticed, as I also mentioned in class, that the two boys will frequently revert back to a past event after being triggered by some type of stimulus. For Benjy, it is a tangible object, like the nail in the hole in the fence that he always seems to get snagged on. For Quentin, he generates an obsession driven by more abstract ideas like time or the "wisdom" of his father. In a way, time may be the nail that snags Quentin. Try as he may, he cannot escape it. He does seems to dwell in the past rather than admit to his or Caddy's humanity, which is marked by error and sin. The ticking of his watch reminds him that time will always go on.
I have really enjoyed the book so far, even though it has been very difficult to understand, and sometimes when we discuss things in class that I had no idea happened. I think the most interesting thing about the novel is the fact that the reader gets to play detective to figure out what is happened in the life of the Compsons. My favorite character has been Quentin because of his protective nature and need for control. It is fascinating that he continues to try to gain control over the things in his life, Caddy, the little girl, and time. Yet, all of the things are out of his control and are dominated by a different man. Caddy is eventually controlled by her husband, the little girl by her father, and time is controlled by the words of his father. I think the watch symbolizes all the things that Quentin's father has told him in his life about life being meaningless. Quentin's battle with control leads to his death.
I found that Benjy's part was easier/ quicker to get through than Quentin's part, but I thought Quentin's part was deeper and there was more we had to take another look at. I really liked the quote "Where the shadow of the bridge fell I could see down for a long way, but not as far as the bottom. When you leave a leaf in water for a long time after a while the tissue will be gone and the delicate fibers waving slow as the motion of sleep." I thought this was a good representation of Quentin's view on suicide and his intentions. Here there is another reference to time when he refers to the bridge's shadow, which may also relate back to the short amount of time he has left on earth. Quentin believes that the water will be his release, but he doesn't talk about it as a new start but more as a complete rest. He refers to the leaf in the water as sleeping, and he believes this is how he will be, too. This all can relate back to the quote right before it that says, "Purity is a negative state and therefore contrary to nature." Quentin sees the water as a pure way to his death, but also because time is unable to touch below the water's surface.
While I was reading Benjy's section I was completely confused, but when aI finally finished it, I was very proud of myself. What I noticed about Benjy is that he is completely honest about everyhting he mentions. I think that the way he thinks works to the adventage of the readers. I really wanted to know more about Mr. Compson's role in the novel and I'm glad that Quentin helps to reveal it; I think that Quentin's view of his father changes the way people think of him. I think that he is one of the main reasons for Quentin's suicide.
I really appreciate Faulker's style, although it is very complex and often difficult to understand. Possibly my favorite part of the novel so far is the last about 7 pages of Quentin's section, where he was suffereing from a near complete mental breakdown, and he constantly wavers on the point of sanity and madness.
One question I still have, and we briefly touched on it during class, is the question of the motive of Quentin's suicide. From my prospective, it seems that he did it to restore honor to his family, but, to me, it really seems like a pointless reason, as it has no real basis in becoming reality. It could be his madness (this seems to be a recurring motif in the novel) "controlling" him to believe that it will restore honor. Or, maybe it just demonstrates Quentin's ineffectiveness of making any real changes to help himself and his family.
So far this book is pretty good, despite its being so difficult to read. The structure of the novel is very complex, and I often find myself missing out on things that take place due to its confusing organizagion. In Quentin's section, Faulkner contrasts the differences of old South and the modern world. Quentin is the definition of a true Southern gentleman, and he is a strong supporter of tradition Southern values such as purity, virginity, virtue, and family honor. Quentin’s set of morals is what causes him to struggle with the acceptance of Caddy’s pregnancy, unlike Mr. Compson who argues that the concepts of virginity and purity are nonsense and meaningless. Quentin believes so strongly in his traditional Southern value system that he tells Caddy he will kill himself if she does the same simply in order to save the family name. On a broader scale, Caddy and Quentin represent how Southern ideals are becoming outdated and slowly disappearing. Quentin finds that he is the only one who is truly concerned with the family name, and turns to suicide to escape the burden.
Although it is somewhat difficult to read, I am enjoying the book so far. I like how the first two sections contrast each other, creating a dual sense of order and chaos. Commenting on what Mrs. Charbonnet said about the book being centered around Caddy viewing her dead grandmother through the window, I think this is one of the events that leads to many others in the novel. Afterward, Caddy is very shocked and upset. I think this experience makes her change her whole outlook on life. She now realizes that life is short. She must grow up while she has time. She must start to do as many adult things as she can (in her case being sex). Her choices eventually lead to the backbone of the novel. Quentin and Benjy both remember the bad decisions Caddy makes that effect both of their lives.
I will start off by repeating what just about everyone else said. This book is a little difficult but I still enjoy it. I especially enjoyed Quentin's section. I think it does a very adequate job of recreating the thought process of a real person with the stream of conciousness. It's ironic that to understand why some parts of the narration are like they are you have to realize that it is supposed to be chaotic and all messed up and at some points not understandable. Faulkner's experimenting with th punctuation also helps add to that realism. People do not always think and speak in proper grammer or sentences or fully explain everything, especially in the south.
TSATF has been a pretty good novel though it has quite a few complex moments. With only reading Benjy and Quentin's section alot already has seen to be different. For Benjy's section Faulkner's sytle of writing not ending questions with question marks was understandable for Benjy did have a mental illness. But as for Quentin's section I havn't quite picked up on why Faulker does not use quotations; so I did get pretty confused. Some similarities were how the parents became quite harsh to both of their sons and also the two boys relationship with Caddy was quite a different love. I'm loving this novel so far and can't wait to continue with Jason's section.
I like Faulkner's psychological analysis of each of the characters. It's interesting to see how each character processes the event differently.TSANTF just goes to show how most families are screwed up because each person sees things in a different light. I also like how the novel takes place in different time periods. It's interesting to see how characters have changed or stayed the same.
I think it was a a good idea for Faulkner to present the story from multiple perspectives. Quentin and Benjy's sections show unique pictures of the past. Both, however center around their relationship to Caddy. Both feel the same loss for their sister. Benjy can only moan and cry to shwo his greif yet in many ways he is a stronger character then Quentin. Quentin is incapable of following through with his actions, while Benjy does everything he can to get his point across. I also thought it was interesting that both charcters memories were triggered by symbolic object of their past, while Benjy were the things that reminded him of Caddy, Quentin's were things that reminded him of what he had lost. Making Quentin's memories that much more painful to him.
This is Kelsey from 3rd period :)
Quentin’s section brings in time even more so than Benjy’s section since he is constantly referring to watches and time. The section makes a point that time is somehow destructive and that focusing on time takes away from the true meaning in life or the things that are most important. Quentin’s father is the one who gives him the watch and explains its destructive qualities which shows a lot about his negative character and the impact he has on his son. Quentin seems to weirdly look up to his father and perhaps does not realize the negativity or depressing view he has on life. Quentin’s consideration of suicide is also prevalent throughout the novel. He makes references to his suicide notes and he also buys some weights that he says he “hopes are heavy enough” as if he will use them for his suicide. He also talks about sisters a lot when discussing death which relates back to his own sister Caddy. He seems to obsess about his sister’s loss of virginity perhaps because there are questions regarding his own sexuality and status as a virgin. In Benjy’s section it seemed like Quentin had less power than Caddy and that she was the overpowering one but in this section Quentin is seen as very protective of Caddy as he lies to his father about committing incest just to save Caddy’s reputation as a promiscuous young lady. Unlike Benjy who has no sense of time or realization of what is in the past and what is in the present. Quentin is very aware of time and realizes what is a memory and what is happening in the present. What is hard to decide in his section is what is an actual memory and what is reflective of his hopes and desires.
Yes, Yes the novel is difficult to read at times, but its growing on me because I hated it when reading Benjy's section. I love the way Faulkner creates a realistic world for the reader to experience the events. By telling the story from each character (from that character's viewpoint), we get a dose of reality. What i mean is that if one story was told from different perspectives, this is how it would actually happen, the story shifting and taking on some of the traits of the said narrator's mind. Sure, it serves for a great deal of confusion, however, in the end I believe that its worth it. I have never been a very insightful reader, so i know that I'm overlooking some probably key events or themes along the way, but the way it's structured, I'll be happy to make it through with a grasp of the main concepts
I believe the structure of the sections is very representative of the character's telling them. Benjy, very dependent on his senses rather than logic, explains everything in real time without analysis. His rendition of events therefore is very confusing because things are not put in perspective, that is, there is little thought process to guide us through the section. In contrast, Quentin's section is very complex and littered with his mental processes. Things are put into perspective and it appears obvious when things happen, but there is so much contained in the writing that it is difficult to read. Time is very much a part of his life and it the continuous sentences are evidence of this. They flow on carelessly, just as time appears to take control of his life and remove the order from it. His struggle to gain control and the flaws he finds in himself, his passiveness and tendency lack of motivation, lead to his ultimate failure. Him taking his life being the result of his failure to control his life.
I like books like these because, although I'm probably not fully comprehending 60% of it, it's one of those books that really make you think, and, despite how hard it is to comprehend the long unpunctuated sentences in Quentin's section, I really like his experimentation with it.
Both Quentin and Benji are very drawn to the topics of time and sexuality. For Benji, time is something he cannot comprehend, which results in his persistent grief in his longing for Caddy. Quentin's obsession for control over time leads him to his meticulously-timed death. Also, both Benji and Quentin wish to stunt Caddy's sexual maturation. Benji wants her to remain child-like so she can forever be his playmate and protector, while Quentin believes that she shouldn't mature before he gets the chance to--simply because that's not the natural order of things.
this book is crazy confusing. but it has been getting clearer and clearer as the sections go on so that's helpful. Benjy's i couldn't understand almost at all and Quentin's was a little easier for me because even though his thoughts were kind of scrambled, he could explain situations and describe events the way Benjy could not. Jason' s section is a breeze compaired to the others but it's still hard to read becasue he's such a jerk!! i hate him he is such a sexist/racist/jerkist. i think that each one of the kids responds differently to their bad parents. Caddy became a skank, Quentin was depressed and suicidal, and Jason is just an abusive pig. each of them deals with life's hardships in very unique yet destructive ways.
Hmmm. So I am surprisingly enough liking Sound and the Fury, except just when I understand it---so after we talk in class. I defintely prefered Benjy's section to Quentin's, because I could follow what was happening a bit more. The italics in Quentin's section threw me off becuase i was expected a time shift rather than random thoughts. I guess that's why Benjy's was easier to read. Since he's mentally challenged, he just reports the happenings, whereas Quentin has lots of fantasies so its a little harder to distingush reality. Anyways, it is defintely a unique book!
I almost forgot about this thing...
Anyways!
I don't understand Quentin's complete distate for life considering his brother is an "idiot." Most people would realize how great it is to be healthy and alive, but Quentin under many circumstances talks about wanting to kill others and wanting to end Caddy's life along with his own (which he becomes successful with). I think if his family hadn't been so screwed up, maybe he would have had a better shot at life. His father's nialistic views seem to rub off on him when he stops attending class. The only thing he seems to care about is Caddy, and when she loses her virginity, he goes overboard and considers it a loss of southern values as a whole and has nothing to live for.
I really like this novel so far. It's a brilliant depiction of a family growing up in a completely unstable environment and how they adapt, how they react when those little objects/moments they held all of their happiness in are no longer possible...
Faulkner tackles psychology very cleverly. Quentin is like Holden Caulfield without the attitude and Raksolnikov without the ramblings. Both his and Benjy's narration techniques reveal their focus, desires, and characters. Quentin reminds me of Eric Harris (one of the Columbine shooters). Both in their distaste for society around them and not being able to attain their dream. And their disorganized personality until it came time for action, when they became drastically meticulous.
I personally like this book, but at the same time I loathe it due to the fact I don't like reading. I really love the hypertext btw.
As for the book, Benjy encourages me, Quentin depresses me, Jason angers me and Caddy makes me feel dirty. I really liked the time symbol in Quentin's section.
Quentin is such an awful narrator! He is so hard to understand because he uses really obscure references and does not adequately explain them. Quentin says, “Jesus walking on Galilee and Washington not telling lies” (pg 51). I mean what the heck does that even mean? The way all Quentin’s ideas run together is what really confuses me. It’s hard to decipher what he is trying to say because he sometimes he refers to several events in the same paragraph. He mixes memories with present events in a way that is more confusing than Benjy. Maybe he does this to show Quentin’s mental state since June second is the day he kills himself. He is preparing to take his own life all day and that has to make his run at light speed. He spends his time going around time trying to keep a cool appearance yet inside his mind is racing through everything that has happened to him in life. Maybe Faulkner is trying to show Quentin’s inner turmoil through his hurried narration. Quentin can feel his time slipping away and wants to get everything out before he dies.
Although it is complex, this book is a lot easier to comprehend than what Mr. Campbell said it would be! I honestly like what I can understand.
I like Benjy's reliable, unbiased interpretation of events. Although he might not understand the motivation behind certain actions like Uncle Maury's letterwriting, he records and retells it honestly.
When I was reading Quentin's section, I was reminded of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I think Okonkwo's stuggle to keep his family and tribe isolated from the new ideas of the missionaries is comparable to the decline of the southern social code and moral responsibilities to which Quentin clings to so dearly. I could be totally off, but I think that in both cases, the disillusionment of the frivolity of both ways of life leads to suicide.
Honestly, I don't remember how Okonkwo kills himself, hanging maybe...
But the fact that Quentin kills himself by drowning even further symbolizes his plague of inaction--in life and in death. To kill yourself in any other way, you'd have to pull a trigger, or stab with a knife, but he chooses to die, buy not doing something. By not swimming. So Quentin.
Unlike most people in my class, I liked Quentin's section the best. It just seemed easier to keep up with. However, it was also a little creepy.
The poor guy always seems to get the things he wants taken away by other guys.
It's weird how time controls him and how he can't escape it, even after he breaks the watch.
I still think how much he talks about Caddy is a little strange.
I really like the book and do not really have any complaints about it. although i do have complaints on a few characters like Quentins father, he is a weird one and benjys mom is just a class A jerk who think the world revolves aound her. the novel is a bit hard to read but i think it keeps us as readers of the book on our toes.
I think Quentin's section is very interesting, exciting, and creepy all at the same time. First of all, it is understandable that he is in the "suicide" mode of thought; Candy's corrupted, his mom could care less about him, and his dad belittles him at every opportunity. I thought that the knife scene was very intense. Just the thought of knowing that he and Cathy would even think about stabbing one another reveals his insane mind. On top of all of this, I thought it was outrageous to hear that Quentin could possibly be gay...I didnt' even consider that until we discussed it in class, and now I'm back to being in the "I have no idea what's going on" mode, but it's still an interesting book.
I still think it's crazy how anyone could write a book that's so complex! It's really interesting to see how all the parts connect, and each section gives a little more about each little memory. I liked Benjy's narration better than Quentin's for sure! Benjy seems like such a sweet honest character; he is just like a little kid. I think some of the most interesting parts are between Benjy and Caddy--their relationship is so sweet and its so sad to see that Benjy realizes she is growing up. I just thought of this...it's weird how both Quentin and Benjy's sections are mostly about Caddy--how much they love her, and how they lost her :(
This book is so complicated so far, but it really shows the complexity of life in general and the real struggles in life. Caddy is an important character for both Benjy and Quentin and what she does represents the new views vs. old views in society. Emily makes some good points about how Benjy and Caddy are tied to each other. Also, the way their father views Caddy's pregnancy shows the conflicting ideas that can create 'family drama.'
So, despite The Sound and the Fury being quite difficult to understand at times, I find the novel very intriguing. I personally enjoy the very distinct perspectives and relationships toward Caddy. However, I found the beginning of Quentin's section very peculiar. The father's philosophies are very odd in that he views life as an extremely slow death, and how his strange views on life alter Quentin's every action as he attempts to avoid time altogether.
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