Approaching Insanity

I considered lying on the blog and saying that I'm all done with the Quentin chapter (which would probably not be a bad idea since my teacher is grading us on these). But I figure I've probably read more than a lot of other kids, and I'm planning on finishing this chapter tonight if possible. I just don't want to try to write anything at three in the morning. I can imagine how that could turn out... Anyways, I'm far enough into the chapter that I'm beginning to see some trends that I can write on. For starters, I am fairly positive that Quentin's mental health is rapidly deteriorating. As the chapter goes on, he lapses into scenes in the past much more frequently. These lapses seem to be triggered by certain events or symbols, such as the watches and time that Quentin is apparently obsessed with. These "induced" links between the present and past are similar to those from the previous chapter, but are less influenced by related events as they are by these seemingly random triggers. It is almost as confusing by Benjy's chapter too, but thankfully Faulkner decided to throw us a bone, albeit an incredibly tiny bone (think hummingbird), by making this chapter slightly less confusing with a more rational narrator. And although I've already heard that Quentin will commit suicide, it seems pretty clear to me that the thought is growing stronger in his mind. As the narrator, he views the river as something sublime and perhaps a source of rebirth. When I heard he had taken two weights to the bridge, I was convinced for a moment that he was going to jump off and drown himself right there. Another aspect of that decreasing mental state I mentioned above is seen in how Quentin narrates. As the story progresses, he actually seems to be losing his grip on who he really is. There are passages here and there that are clearly from the perspective of his mother, but there is nothing that distinguishes those passages from his own words. He seems to be lapsing in and out of both time and space. What I'm trying to say is he is losing track of both "who" he is and "when" he is (I just really wanted to say "time and space").

Chapter One

I just finished reading the first chapter of The Sound and the Fury and it was just as difficult as my teacher had predicted. In fact, without my teacher's help I'm wouldn't have understood half of it. For those of you who haven't read this book, the reason this chapter is confusing is because it is told from the viewpoint of a seriously mentally ill character whose narrative is a mosh pit of different scenes from different points in time. There is no straightforward plot unless you put a lot of effort into piecing together the story. As for why Faulkner does this, I have no idea. He could be using this chapter to define the character Benjy; he could be using the confusion of the narrative to symbolize the confusion of the Compson family, with a hypochondriac mother, a mentally handicapped son, a rebellious daughter who becomes pregnant out of marriage, and many other odd and challenging characters; or perhaps Faulkner was just showing off his skill as an author. Regardless, I kinda hate that guy for making me struggle so much with 50 pages. Another aspect of this first chapter that my teacher brought attention to was the fact that Benjy is 33 years old during the main setting of the chapter, which is set on the day before Easter. This immediately turn Benjy into some sort of Christ figure, a concept supported by how much Benjy suffers at the hands of his "family". In my opinion, an opinion which has been heavily influenced by my teacher's prompt questions, Benjy is meant to be a symbol of that nostalgia for the past that characterizes his narrative. He is used by Faulkner as a critique on the immoral contemporary society. His suffering is meant to emphasize the need to return to fundamental values (chastity being the very notable example here). It is very likely that I'm entirely wrong in this speculation, but I hope you can see where I'm coming from at least. That'll be all for now children.

Background to The Sound and the Fury

This is Christopher here and welcome to my blog. Hope whoever's reading this enjoys what I have to say as much as I love wasting your time. This blog will document my epic battle with William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. As of now I am still sizing up my opponent. Faulkner apparently sets most of his works in a county called Yoknaptawpha, including the novel I'm about to read. That is the coolest fictional name I've ever seen. It's the type of name you can scream as you charge into battle and only look slightly insane. But on the more serious side, that word comes from two Chickasaw words that together mean "split land". Faulkner himself spent most of his life in the South, in Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These southern landscapes are reflected in his fictitious county with a lot of class and racial conflict. Faulkner, according to my slightly enamored teacher, did not follow the racial prejudices of many Southerners and actually defended the rights of African Americans. Other more interesting facts about Faulkner:

• His middle name is Cuthbert.
• He based many of his stories off of real encounters.
• He smoked a pipe with utmost swagger.
• He tried to maintain his privacy. Sadly, he was too famous for that.
• He drank like a fish. An Irish fish.