April 7, 1928

While reading this first chapter, I kept asking myself why William Faulkner would make the story, told by Benjy, so confusing and intricate. At first I thought it was just to exemplify the way in which Benjy's mind works by jumping from memory to memory. It was interesting to see the focus Benjy had on senses, like smelling and hearing. By the end of the chapter, I realized that perhaps Faulkner made the first chapter so disorienting to pull the reader in. The passage being so confusing forced me to focus not on just the plot, but on the specific details. These details, like which characters were in each memory, helped me understand what was going on. Paying attention to detail also helped me notice what was actually going on in the story, not just what was on the surface.

One thing that really struck me was the cruelty Benjy receives from his family. Because of his illness,  he is at the bottom in the Compson family. Most are not able to understand or communicate with him. They do not understand the way his mind works and therefor become very frustrated with him. Although his thought process is difficult to comprehend, he is also very matter of fact. His thoughts are not distorted by him wanting to suggest or communicate something that may not be completely true. His innocence is what makes his interpretation of his life and the lives around him so accurate. It shows us that the Compson family has many faults. He doesn't over exaggerate or under exaggerate their actions. For example, when he makes references to Uncle Maury's alcoholism, he gives concrete evidence. This shows that he is not trying to suggest something, but that it is the truth.

Although he may not be able to communicate what he wants, he helps those around him realize what is right and wrong. A perfect example of this is his sister, Caddy, who is the only one that understands why Benjy gets upset and tries to fix it. The fact that he is the same age as Christ was upon Crucifixion is puzzling. Does this suggest that perhaps Benjy is a figure that brings light and hope to the Compson family? Is he some sort of sacrifice that will eventually help the Compson family?

He is very dependent and needs someone to be watching over him all the time. He needs structure and feeds off of the happiness from past memories. This could be a symbol of the idea of how important it is that family ties are strong and faithful. Could his dependence be what holds his family together? To me, Benjy seems to be a symbol that unites people, even in bad situations, and even when they don't want to be united.

Activity #1

Gaining insight into William Faulkner's background and life was very interesting and will certainly help me better understand his writing. First of all, I find it fascinating that he is recognized as a great American writer when he never even graduated high school. This highlights his profound abilities because it shows that he did not need education to make his writing great. Another aspect of his life I found interesting was that he was able to enter the Canadian Air Force, but wasn't able to actually fight before the war ended. I found it funny that he bought an officer's uniform and exaggerated his experience while training. He enjoyed the praise he received from others. This shows something about his character, and I wonder if these aspects of his personality will be revealed in any of his characters in The Sound and the Fury.
It was helpful to learn about his other works of writing compared to The Sound and the Fury. His third novel was based off of his own native county. He described the experience of writing about something familiar and personal, and said that this helped him realize how important it is to take bits and pieces of your own experiences and share them with the world.
It was a shock to me that when Faulkner first wrote this book, he didn't think it was "publishable." His humble attitude is both odd and compelling. I really liked his Nobel Prize speech and the ideas he expresses. The fact that he sees his work not as his own but as the reader's drives me to want to read his book even more. It was interesting to read about his perception of what an author should be. He thinks that the writer must "teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid." Writing should confront the truest emotions, and for that to happen, the writer must dig down deep instead of just writing on the surface. He shows that his writing is vulnerable, and although he may not admit this, that is what makes it so great. He says that he "declines to accept the end of man." He believes that man will "prevail" because of the emotion we possess, and we must hold onto this emotion. I find his ideas to be great descriptions of what a writer should be.