"The Benjy Chapter" & subsequent confusion/reflection

 I finished the Benjy chapter about an hour ago and am still trying to digest it. I ended up having to read each page twice in an attempt to grasp the disjointed concept of time in this chapter. (I still don't necessarily understand it all, to be honest.) In my opinion, Faulkner intentionally began the novel with this difficult chapter to set the stage for the novel. As an author, he was often turned away for his new style of narration, as mentioned in my previous post. By starting out the novel with Benjy as the narrator, he is showing the reader what is to be expected from his book. Of course, the confusing narrative in the first chapter also reflects how Benjy thinks - it gives the readers an "in" to his mind. Benjy goes from being present at a golf game to deep in a flashback about his sister Caddy - just from hearing the word "caddie." (pg 3) Why does Faulkner have Benjy think so associatively? In addition, the first chapter leaves the reader with a lot of questions. It's a bit of a mystery. The first chapter, first for a good reason, also establishes the bad communication in the family through the confusing narrative style.

The fact that this first chapter is on Benjy's thirty-third birthday seems to be very significant and symbolic. Although there isn't specific, outright textual evidence linking the two, it must be considered and taken into account that Jesus was crucified at age thirty-three. Many characters mention the fact that it is Benjy's thirty third birthday, starting on the first page of the chapter. I'm not quite sure what the significance of this is, or how Benjy's character relates to Jesus. I assume that there will be support in later chapters. The only parallel I can think of right now is the way that Jesus was persecuted and hated for being the son of God (something he couldn't control) in the same way that Benjy is treated poorly by the majority of the characters simply for having a mental disibility (something he can't control.) Can anyone else think of any parallels or symbols between Benjy and Jesus?

Benjy's role in the Compson family is facinating to me. From what I can tell so far, he isn't very important to any of them. The black servants see him as an opportunity to treat a white person poorly, and his mother sees him as her punishment for marrying beneath her. Caddy is really the only one that truly cares about him. He seems to be a burden for the family, and they all treat him like a young child. Having his perspective in the first chapter showed me the strange dynamic of the Compson family, and the fact that they tend to reflect on the past, just as Benjy continued to do in his narration. Benjy's pure, unadulterated narration shows the reader a lot about the family, especially about Caddy. The family wishes Caddy wouldn't be so wild, and condemns her doing things like taking her dress off to dry. Benjy is also fixated on smells, moreso than other sensory types. I noticed that he says she smells like the trees when he feels she is his sister and is on his side. For example, when she got married and was in her veil, she didn't smell like trees to Benjy. Another time this happens is when she kisses Charlie. However, when she washes her mouth out with soap, she suddenly becomes the sister he knows and smells like trees again. (pg 32)

It is no question that Benjy is fixated on the past. Faulkner has his first narrator introduce the novel with a fixation on the past to show the Compson's fixation on the past, as mentioned previously, as well as to show the South's nostagalia as a place. This novel is set in 1928, before the government got really reinvolved in the south economicially and socially. (That happened more around great depression/its aftermath). It was also pretty soon after reconstruction and the civil war. Both of these historical patterns leave room for the South to continue traditions and mourn (or should I say "moan") for the loss of old ones.

Writing this post has helped me reflect on the Benjy chapter and what's important about him as a character. I also have gained a better understanding as to why Faulkner used him as the opening act. However, I'm still a little fuzzy on what actually happened. How many different time periods does this chapter span? There was a place where I thought he was 33 until Faulkner off-handedly mentioned that he was 5...so I'm wondering how many places and times I've already managed to mix up.

I've also noticed that Faulkner doesn't use apostrophes ever, or question marks at the end of a question - just a period. Anyone know why that might be?

William Faulkner : An Introduction

I believe that often to understand a work of literature, it is important to understand the writer's environment, personality, beliefs, and circumstances. As I researched Faulkner and his life, I came across many interesting bits of information that gave me a good basis to understand his writing.

Faulkner grew up in the South in a small town called Rowan Oaks. He used the South as a backdrop to his novels. His knowledge and understanding of Southern geography and culture helped bring his books to life.

Faulkner preferred not to be under the scrutiny of the public eye. In fact, he refused to attend the awarding of the Nobel Prize until he was finally convinced. He was often pegged as an alchoholic because of his occasional drinking binges that often occured at the completion of a novel. Faulkner was also interested in art and culture of other countries; he changed his name from "Falkner" to "Faulkner," because it looks more British with a "u." As seen in the photo below, he also grew a beard to look like a "Bohemian poet" while in France.

Faulkner's narrative was a fresh take on literature, and gives the reader even more information about Faulkner as a person. A great line from Faulkner's Requiem For A Nun reads, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." This reflects his interesting ideas about time, which he utilizes to create a new kind of narrative. His work was actually rejected a few times because of this experimental format.

I found it facinating that he didn't finish high school nor recieve a college degree, yet became a highly renound author. To me, this shows raw talent and a lot of determination. He recognized when and where he needed to improve himself and his work, saying, "I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can't and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing.”

Researching Faulkner's life has helped me obtain greater insight on who he was as a person. This will certainly help me as I take on one of his most popular works, The Sound and the Fury.