Question #1 The Presence of the Past

In The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner uses the concept and understanding of time as a tool to mold the characters. Benjy is unable to grasp the concept of time due to his disability. The past is meshed in with the present to him due to his inability to distinguish between the two. His section was the most difficult to read because of the fact that he constantly referred to past memories in a way that made them seem as though they could be the present- because this is the way that he thinks. It is all the same to him. He goes back to the past frequently but really to him- it is the present. Quintin frequently goes back in time like Benjy, but is actually aware that his flashbacks are just memories. He is obsessed with time (shown by all of the clock refrences)- the past especially. He is driven to suicide essentially because of his obsession with Caddy's promiscuous conduct and distruction of the family. This obsession of past events takes over him. While Benjy flashes back to the past a lot making it confusing to the reader he is actually stuck in the present while Quintin is stuck in the past. Jason, on the other hand is totally stuck in the present. He does refer to the past some- like how Caddy got him his horrid job- but he mainly refers to the present and how he can get wealth for the future. He is extrordinarily selfish and caught up in his own personal gain- even if it is done by stealing from his own family. He is a miserable and greedy character and could probably benefit from spending some more time in the past rather than slefishly and miserably in the present and future. He is the total opposite from his brother Quintin who would GREATLY benefit if he could spend less time dwelling in the past and being a little more concerned about himself rather than constantly concerned about Caddy and the family. Without having the aspect of time in the novel, the reader would not be able to grasp the essence of these characters. While Quintin is stuck in the past, Jason is stuck in the present/future, and Benjy is stuck with having them meshed together- the relationship each of the characters has with the past helps to mold not only their character, but the entire novel.

The Sound and the FURY

The Sound and the Fury is unlike any book I have ever read before. The way it is written- without chronological order or significance to time- is somewhat infuritaing and frusterating especially in the first chapter. Since we were given an intoduction to the book in class along with the helpful website, I was able to prepare myself mentally before I began to read; however, everything that is normally easy to figure out in other novels I have read was not as easy in this book. For example, the time (what is happening/when?) was not as apparent as it often is in novels. I came to realize that this was Faulkner's way of showing the insignifcance of time- leaving it out so the reader will focus more on other deeper aspects of the novel that are too often overlooked. He wants the reader to look deeper into the characters and their emotions and relationships rather than to read in search of a plot or climax and having the characters on the side.

When Faulkner claimed that he "learned to read" while writing this book, I was simply perplexed by the statement. However, the more I read, I can begin to understand where he was coming from. He himself had to look beyond just a plot to write this book. He had to put thought into creating the family their dysfunctional relationships so that when it was read there would have to be thought put into it by the reader. He didn't want to write one of the other plot centered books that he and all readers have read plenty of. He wanted to write a book that would teach not only himself, but his readers, to read between the lines and focus on the substance of the book. After writing his book, Faulkner realized that the relationships and emotions of any novel are far more important than the order and plot. It took writing the novel for him to gain this appreciation.

Being frustrated and confused while reading has forced me to think about what it is I am reading. I am now thinking about the book in a different way and want to gain a greater understanding for the chatacters since I do not have plot distracting me. Faulkner's choice to use Benjy, a retarted person, for the first chapter was a brilliant choice. He gives the reader a subjective and raw point of view- allowing the reader to begin to pass judgement and make inquiry based on an unbiased voice. The fact that he's an "idiot" makes it just confusing enough to make one read deeper in search of a reason as to why the author made this choice. With the choice of making Benjy first, Faulkner gets the reader ready to read differently than ever before and ready to make their own reasonings rather than have the book give it all to you on a silver platter. Although this book is not the easiest book to read and I have to search for reasoning on my own more than ever, I think that it will help me "learn to read" as well.