Benjy's Chapter: April 7th,1928

After reading the first chapter, April 7, 1928 in The Sound and The Fury many things stood out. First Faulkner begins the novel with Benjy as the narrator, because his perspective on the story is told exactly how he sees it. Having him as the first narrator tells the story in an exact way, and told more factually. Benjy was innocent unlike any other character. It was clear that Benjy was the child of the household.  Everyone had to take care of him, watch out for him, and continually raise him. This was predominately shown when Benjy burnt his hand in the fire. In this scene everyone came to share their opinions on how to go about his injury and the situation as a whole. Faulkner also has a foreshadowing of religious events. Having Benjy’s age be 33, shows that Faulkner is highlighting Benjy as a religious character, and most likely corresponding Benjy with Christ. Also, as the chapter title says, this took place the Saturday before Easter. Easter is a big day for celebration, and the Saturday before is a day of uncertainty. This is because, as told by the bible, Christ’s followers were lost and confused without Christ, and there uncertainty was relieved when Christ resurrected on Easter day. This can relate to the Sound and the Fury, because the uncertainty going on within the Compson family is soon going to be relieved, because there are many situations that Benjy does not know is happening, because he is looked down on as the child, and doesn’t get involved in major matters.

                Benjy’s unique perspective shows us relationships within the household. The one I first noticed was Cady, who seems to always be begging for attention, and wants everything for herself and done her way. Through his perspective, it is also shown the mother’s relationships with each child, and the servants. What makes these observances unique to Benjy’s narration are that Benjy is not bias, and does not have a ‘special’ connection with anyone character. He directly tells the story how he sees it unfold. The Compson’s household also has been created around providing Benjy with what he needs. This shows that the family has spent a lot of time comforting him. Also, through the flashbacks of the chapter, it shows how Benjy remembers positive events in his childhood, again this relates to his innocence. Also, through this chapter it was obvious that Benjy looked up to Caddy the most, which explains why he was hurt when she got married.  Living in the south contributes to the story, first it portrays the large families that are commonly seen in the south. It also has the black servants, commonly seen in the south, and shows the mother’s disrespect for these servants. Yes, Benjy fulfills a symbolic role, by being the person that brings the family together. The family comes together to watch over and protect Benjy. 

The Sound and The Fury 1

William Faulkner was an unexpected writer. He did not graduate high school or college, and spent his life living in a small town in Mississippi. He was most comfortable to the southern way of life. Faulkner had many different jobs, before he began writing as a profession. Faulkner attempted to join the army; sadly, he was turned away due to his height of 5 feet six inches. Then, he enrolled at the University of Mississippi. This is where he began writing short stories, plays, and poems, although he dropped out after three semesters. After this, Faulkner moved to New York and worked at a book store. After this he became a postmaster. With all of these different job attempts, none seemed to fit Faulkner. How did his literary career really take off? It started when Faulkner moved to New Orleans. Here, he got involved with a group of other writer, which was the best thing he could have done to expand his career. As his first book was published, he traveled to Europe, which was the environment for him to accumulate inspiration for his future novels. However this did not work out for him, and he was advised to stick to what he knew best, his home town.

His first attempt to write about his hometown did not please the publishers. Frustrated, and considering giving up, Faulkner decided to write for love, not publication. In this process his first successful novel was created, The Sound and The Fury.  What stands out most in Faulkner’s writing is the way he presents the story. In The Sound and The Fury, there are four chapters, each told by a different narrator telling the same story, which makes his storytelling incredibly unique. He also tells the story by going back and forth between the present and the past. This gives the reader a lot of insight. After this book, Faulkner began to write again for money. At this time he was married and had two children, and making money had become necessary. As he continued his writing career, he published other famous novels such as, As I lay Dying. After this, his first screenplay was created, and he was giver six on screen credits throughout his life. It is no surprise that all of this led to the 1949 Nobel Prize for literature. Faulkner spent his life working hard to achieve success in his literary works, which is why through all of these great accomplishments he is known as one of the best American authors.