Benjy's Chapter

Faulkner begins his novel through the eyes of Benjy, the thirty-three year old mentally-handicapped Compson, which immediately serves as a challenge for Faulkner's audience. Benjy's narration is confusing to say the least, with the constant time shifts and story told in a childlike and disoriented fashion. This initially develops the theme of time in Faulkner's novel, emphasizing the perception of- as Benjy himself seems to be stuck in the past (but who can really blame him, life was happier when Caddy was around). To understand The Sound and the Fury's opening chapter, readers must develop a pattern of time, and learn to recognize key symbols of the text (Caddy smells like trees...). Benjy is also a  necessity as a narrator because as he has the mind of a child, he is raw- Benjy is unbiased, he tells the story as it is. He shows all characters, especially his family members, exactly how they are- there's no leeway given simply because of blood relation.

As said before, it's understandable Benjy would be as nostalgic about the past as he is, as it was the time the only really proof he was loved, Caddy, was present. He was called a "judgement" on his mother his whole life, his family seeing him as a bother rather than a blessing. Benjy's family, especially his mother, constantly worried about how Benjy would cause others to perceive the Compson family as a whole, causing a sort of resentment, shame towards Benjy. This also portrays the society of the South at that time, as everyone is fixated upon what others think of them. Benjy is barely a member of the Compson family, merely an obligation.

As there is a lack of consistency in Benjy's life, he strives for it. Sadly, Benjy lost one of the only consistent things in his life, Caddy. Caddy was who helped Benjy make sense of the world around him, now surrounded by only those who neglect him, he is lost. Benjy wants familiarity, maybe that's part of why he's so obsessed with all that's already happened. Benjy's extreme nostalgia shows the Compson family's clearly seen better days; presently, the family lacks order and happiness. The family and world around him is changing rapidly, and sadly, there's nothing Benjy can do to stop it.

Through the novel, Faulkner poses seemingly intended comparisons between Benjy and Jesus, possibly presenting Benjy as a Christ figure. This assumption can be based around Benjy's age being thirty three, the age of Jesus upon his crucifixion, his chapter taking placate day before Easter Sunday, as well as Benjy being the subject of abuse and suffering admit his innocence. It seems Benjy's comparison to Christ were intended to be presented to his audience, as he portrays Benjy as as the suffering underdog. Benjy's age being alluded back to Jesus sticks out because it's odd Faulkner would put such an emphasis on Benjy's age throughout the text. Like Jesus, Benjy is sort of just thrown into his suffering; Benjy has no power over his disability or the life he lives. And through this, Benjy, much like Christ, is subject to unnecessary abuse. Benjy can certainly reflect Christ's suffering, but among these similarities, there are also vast contrasts, meaning Faulkner could have made such allusions  as a form of irony. 

Faulkner

William Faulkner was a remarkable story teller, with an abundance of novels and the Nobel Prize to prove it. Growing up in old southern family, Faulkner never failed to incorporate his past into his writing, often basing characters of family members such as his great grandfather. Faulkner repeatedly emphasized his home of the South, as all but three of his novels are set in Yokhaparawpua, the fictional county created by Faulkner and inspired by Lafayette County, Mississippi. It's interesting to me Faulkner would create his own setting to reuse throughout his literature, and adds to his uniqueness as a writer.
Faulkner continues the trend of failing among geniuses, as he never graduated high school. Faulkner often would refer to himself as a "failed poet", and as I went along my research a quote of his stuck out to me, "I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, find he can't and then tries the short story which is the most demanding form after poetry. And failing at that, only then can he take up novel writing."
 I've concluded Faulkner's past influenced him immensely in more ways than one, as he is passionate about his Southern roots and the way he grew up, and is quoted, "the past is never dead. It's not even the past." Which is interesting because The Sound and the Fury is constantly challenging the perception of time as the timeframe is frequently switching back and forth. Literary elements such as this really makes Faulkner's writing stand out to me. What is Faulkner's purpose in writing in such shifts of time, and why did Faulkner chose Benjy to introduce the novel?
William Faulkner was a remarkable man, who leaves behind remarkable works of literature to continue his legacy.