Benjy's Chapter

Benjy's account of the Compson family is said to take place in 1928, however his stories range over a large span of time. In no specific chronological order, Benjy re-accounts multiple memories of the Compsons. I found this to be difficult to follow at times for there is nothing to specifically distinguish the time period the reader is in and the memories that Benjy recalls. It may seem strange that Faulkner would begin his novel with the character described to be an "idiot." However, I feel Faulkner set up his novel in this way so the reader could hear the stories of the Compsons through the most innocent mind provided.

 The date of Benjy's account, April Seventh, 1928, is particularly intriguing for this was the Saturday before Easter. What makes this more fascinating is that Benjy is 33 years old, which happens to be the same age of Christ when he was crucified. Automatically, Faulkner begins his novel by creating Benjy as the symbolic figure of salvation for the Compsons. In this case Benjy may prove to not be an "idiot" to his family after all, but rather their source of redemption.

I often times found myself rather sympathetic of Benjy. He is looked down upon in his family (even his own mother even views him as punishment for marrying into a lower social class). Benjy however is rather nostalgic, which I felt emphasized Benjy's fondness towards his memories. As for the family as a whole, I felt that Benjy's tendency to be nostalgic shows the need to cling to the past, rather than face the present. This ties into the South due to its recent past with the Civil War during this time period. Despite the fact that slavery was abolished, the same family continues to work for the Compsons. Another thing about Benjy is that he insists on consistency. I found his name change to be the greatest disruption of Benjy's desire to stay consistent. I admire that Benjy has these need because I felt this made his stories more factual. Because he is at the bottom of his family already, he gains nothing from being bias or creating stories in his head. Although he has disabilities, I think he may be the most reliable source in the novel.