Dilsey

Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury proved to be quite the roller coaster ride.  The four person narrator variation of the novel makes the piece challenging but incredibly interesting. A four person narration gives readers insight they could have never received with just one; Faulkner’s characters have great depth enabled through this writing method. The Compson brothers are obviously quite different, but they do share one thing in common: Caddy. All and all, the novel is about Caddy. 

Not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed in the ending. I don’t know what I was really expecting (I definitely wasn’t expecting a “happily ever after” or anything) but I did end up being a little let down. I think the last chapter really reassured all of our thoughts of Jason being a horrible human being after Quentin runs away (I was definitely rooting for her). 

But what really stuck out to me in the final chapter was Luster driving the carriage backwards. He goes counter clockwise, and that just takes me back to the whole idea of time. All the characters seem to have the desire to either stop or have some impact on time, and I think Luster driving backwards is a symbol of that. This is temporary chaos, until Jason stops Luster and things resume per usual...and probably how they always will be. Once that clicked, I had a increasingly better understanding of the book as a whole, especially of Faulkner’s theme of time. Time, and perception of it, is ultimately the point Faulkner was trying to make through his novel. 

Jason

Just as Faulkner makes characters like Caddy easy to love, he can make characters like Jason easy to hate. In previous chapters, readers were introduced to Jason's malicious nature, but weren't completely submerged into it until he got a chapter of his own, marking it's start with "once a bitch always a bitch." One could ramble off a thousand negative words to describe Jason's character, one that sticks out to me is selfish. Jason is money obsessed, and even stoops to the level of stealing money from his own niece. Much like the novels other characters, Jason finds himself nostalgic and regretful of the past. Not only is Jason hateful of the past, but of others. He's prejudice and bitter, constantly projecting negativity towards others.
I'm curious as to why Faulkner made Jason's character so easy to hate. Most of literatures "bad guys" have at least one quality or event that causes readers to at least sympathize with them- but Jason? Jason's all bad, all the time. Faulkner wants his readers to hate Jason. Why?

Quentin Chapter

Quentin's chapter proves to be a challenge much like Benjy's, as Quentin also weaves in and out of various timelines. The biggest change between the two chapters is Quentin's chapter also has the presentation of emotion, deeper thinking, and opinion, unlike Benjy's. Quentin's chapter incorporates more feeling and literary elements than the reader previously experienced in Benjy's, pointing to a new challenge. Quentin also poses a challenge to readers as he doesn't develop a clear sense of "I" as a narrator, he has a somewhat hollow narration throughout the chapter. 

Quentin's inconsistent narration certainly suggests an inconsistent mental state. It can be easily perceived that Quentin is unstable just about every moment leading to his looming suicide. His rapid flashbacks and emotion associated with the memory of Caddy presents an uneasiness to the reader. 

Through reading, I was thrilled (through a little confused) to be presented with a character of such complexity. I enjoyed Quentin's narration, and commend Faulkner in creating such a interesting character. I'm excited to see what Faulkner will bring into play next.