April 8th

The personal issues of obsession, greed, and a mental disability that the Compson men deal
with, disturb the recurring theme of a southern family and morals. As The Sound and the Fury
reaches the end, the distortion and chaos are signs of the unreliable narrative of these men.
The three past narratives of Benjy, Quentin, and Jason are filled with details that make their
narrative a mixture of reality and their wants. Therefore in order to find the truth in a resolution,
and the significance of The Sound and the Fury, a reliable source is required.
In such case Faulkner changes the first person narrative into a third person point of view to
represent the outside view of the crazed Compson family. Not only does the change in view
stand for a sign of reliability to the reader, but the idea that it is the section of DIlsey that ends
the story provides a truth to the plot. For Dilsey does not share the blood or the morals of the
compson family, in order to provide a sense of truth and light away from the chaos that the
flawed brothers create.
Therefore in the organization of the different perspectives Faulkner displays the significance of
arriving to clarity and truth. He places the disorienting view of Benjy followed by the complex
ideas of the Quentin chapter to build an image of the loss of time. As these two brothers are
obsessed with some form of time Faulkner reveals their unreliability to explain a storyline, while
foreshadowing their lives. The obsession to forget time leads to the revelation of the falling
southern family morality that is present in the Jason chapter, as he fails to live up to the
standards of a southern family.
In revealing these ideas and themes Faulkner explains through the Dilsey chapter the truth that
these chaotic lives represent. As DIlsey is the only true representation of a southern woman,
she is the revelation of the destruction that corruption has upon a southern family. One of those
prominent sources of corruption is time, as it places in front of all the character an obstacle to
follow their morals as southerners. These characters must choose to move forward with society,
or be consumed by the past that can no longer exist. Therefore this loss of time signifies that the
recurring themes of time and a southern family make The Sound and the Fury a story of
corrupted morals damaged by the obstacles of time

Jason Chapter

Since his childhood, Jason has been filled with a hatred, and jealousy for his own family, and the different demographics of his community. As the favorite of his mother, Jason has built a wall between himself and his siblings in order to pity his life, and have a hatred for them. In not having any relationships, he has been able to focus on his self centered present and future for self gain. Unlike Benjy, and Quentin his major character flaws are related to his cruel mentality, and egotism instead of an obsession over the past.Therefore Jason can be characterized as the antagonist among the dysfunctional and flawed Compson's.

Jason is not dealing with the issues related to craziness, but rather dealing with the grudge he holds against life. His self pity is filled with the anger he has towards Caddy, as she ruined his job opportunity as a banker by divorcing Herbert. Therefore the aggravated tone of his section, reveals from the first sentence of "once a bitch always a bitch," that Jason is not concerned for his niece or Caddy, rather he is absorbed by having to work in a country supply store. Not only does his blaming of Caddy prove his self-interested attitude, but his lack of hesitation to steal from his own family is the height of his crimes.

The aggravated Jason not only discriminates his own family but other races and groups around him. The anger that developed as a child inside the Compson home, grew to be a hatred towards diversity in his community. Through the hatred he had towards women, Jewish people, and African Americans Jason is revealed as a man of anger and jealousy. He envies the life of anybody who had succeed or surpassed his own accomplishments but does nothing to succeed. Therefore this lack of ambition leads to pitying his life while gaining the wealth he wants in the easiest way possible, stealing from his own family. 

Quentin's Obsessions

Although the Quentin chapter is less disorienting than Benjy's, the complexity of his memories and ideas make it difficult for the revelation of meaning to occur. Quentin's obsessions, and morals create a complex stream of thoughts, that lack a sense of reality, making it difficult to understand. Therefore when he obsesses over intangible objects, like time and virginity, the simpler writing of this chapter is interrupted by revelations of his mental stability. 

As he takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions that come from his goals to forget time, and explain an unladylike mistake, made by Caddy, his irrational character is revealed. Quentin is found overwhelmed by the reminders of time that are all around him, forcing him to make rash decisions. He is consumed by trying to escape the ticking of his wrist watch by making an impulsive decision to break it. Despite the destruction of the watch it keeps ticking, symbolizing the efforts of Quentin to forget time. No matter his effort to destroy it objects like his shadow, that signify the time of sunset, that remind him of the unrelenting idea of time.

Quentin is trapped in the memories of his past including the ruining of reputations, in his eyes. As Caddy becomes pregnant Quentin views the situation as the going against the morals of a southern family. Therefore he believes that taking blame for the pregnancy, by declaring incest, would make for less judgment. However it is his own judgment, and strict following of conservative conduct that is weighing on his mind. For those around him, like his father, believe that virginity is a made up concept and hence is not surprised. 

This lack of support from his family to produce a plan that would save Caddy and him from the mistake against the code of conduct pushed Quentin to the edge. His lack of mental stability to overcome these events, and ideas led to his living in the past. He cannot escape the hands of time leading to him being overtaken by the past, and giving in. Quentin's committing of suicide is a cause of his craze and obsessions over the difficult abstract ideas of time and virginity.

Benjy chapter

The disorienting opening to The Sound and the Fury allows for the audience to be apart of the thought process of a man with a mental disabily. As Benjy is revealed to the audience it is apparent his unusual thought process and imagination for a middle aged man. He is found jumping back and forth from events of his past and his present to jumble the events of his memory. He allows the audience a perspective of his family throughout the course of the events to show their awful attitude towards him.  For his own family is seen as a tools of discrimination towards  him and  his handicap. As his mother feels judged for the presence of her son the audience can see the effect that Benjy has on his family. He provides the th key part of a disfunctional family that is the dwelling of the past. The including Benjy cannot seem to move on as a family but rather dwell on past events. For the Compsons are held back from moving forward with Benjy as they dwell on a past normal life with out Benjy.

Background of Faulkners

Only standing five feet, six inches in adulthood, Faulkner expressed a large talent in his childhood writing and painting. A southern boy, born in Mississippi, began his writing with a style similar to the well known English romantics of Housman and Thomson. The amount of talent that Faulkner showed as young as sixth grade resulted in his boredom with school, and his future jobs. Although not suited for all tasks, he was determined to follow his dreams of being a pilot. Despite missing the opportunity to serve as a pilot, he proclaimed his untruthful experiences while in combat. He told his community of injuries such as a silver plate in his head leading to his first book of Soldier's Pay in 1926. His success continued throughout his life writing many more novels about experience and life.