The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner has a wide variety of complex and significant characters. These characters all come together to form interesting relationships that contribute to the main focus, or focuses, of the story. The Sound and the Fury, up to the end of the Quentin section (the point to which I have read), has been a story of tragedy and hardships for members of the Compson family. These hardships are experienced and brought about by all members of the family. Every member of the family is at least partially responsible for the difficulties of the other members. However, the character most responsible for the difficulties of the Compson family is undoubtedly Caddy.
Caddy’s promiscuity is the main reason for the tension and hardships occurring in the Compson family. Her loss of virginity and pregnancy hurt Quentin so much that he feels his only escape is suicide. Quentin has an extremely narrow-minded and old-fashioned view of women that he believes that a woman who has lost her virginity is impure. Quentin is under the impression that Caddy’s promiscuity has tainted the Compson family forever because she is no a proper woman. He is nothing less than obsessed with Caddy’s sexual promiscuity. Quentin seems like an investigative detective at times, when he and Caddy discuss her personal life. When Quentin asks Caddy how many men she has slept with, she replies “I don’t know too many” (115). This is a crushing blow to Quentin’s view of Caddy and his view of the family name. Quentin is devastated to learn that Caddy has slept with one man, let alone that she cannot even remember how many men she has slept with. Sure, Quentin is also partially driven mad by his obsession with clocks and time. But the main reason he has incurable psychological problems is that he is driven mad by Caddy’s sexual promiscuity.
At this point in the novel, I remain unclear about the father of Caddy’s child. Some hints lead the reader to believe Quentin is the father. If this were true, it would display even greater problems that Caddy causes the family. The reader is led to think Quentin is the father of Caddy’s child when Quentin tells Mr. Compson that he has committed incest. Also, Quentin’s obsession with Caddy’s baby makes the reader wonder is he is only interested because it is also his child. However, it may be that Quentin is simply obsessed with the honor of the Compson family and is not the father of the child. At this point, I am unclear who is responsible for Caddy’s pregnancy.
Caddy’s sexual promiscuity is also the cause of much of Benjy’s hardships. Caddy is the only member of the Compson family that truly cares for Benjy. She is also the only member of the Compson whom Benjy truly cares for. When she was still living with the Compson’s she made Benjy feel safe and calmed him down when he needed it. Caddy’s pregnancy forced her to be sent away to marry and care for her child, ripping her away from the person who needed her most: Benjy. Caddy’s leaving Benjy is like a mother leaving her infant child. Benjy is truly devastated because Caddy is no longer with him. This is apparent on the golf course when Benjy cannot bear to hear the golfers or Luster even say the word “Caddy” because he misses her so much. Hearing Caddy’s name is like a dagger in Benjy’s heart. In another scenario that shows how much Caddy means to him, Benjy waits by the fence every day, in hopes of seeing Caddy come home to comfort him. This waiting is to no avail every day and lands him in a predicament one time that eventually leads to his castration. The mental scar that Caddy left on Benjy by leaving him is extremely noticeable in the first section of the novel. Benjy was having a difficult enough time when Caddy was around to comfort him. Now that she is gone, Benjy’s difficulties are multiplied. Her sexual promiscuity had extreme consequences for Benjy.
The effects of Caddy’s promiscuity are apparent in both Quentin and Benjy. They may seem to affect Quentin more because he felt they were so overwhelming that the only escape was death. However, Benjy may be just as affected or even more affected by Caddy’s actions. He simply does not have them mental capacity to comprehend or display how much Caddy’s leaving has affected him.
In the first to sections, it is clear that Caddy is the source of the hardships of the two characters who have expressed their views of the situation. I am interested to see in the next section if Caddy’s sexual promiscuity caused as great of hardships for the other characters as it did for Quentin and Benjy. (807)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Poor Leroy
“Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason is a disheartening tale. In fact, the entire story is filled with depressing moments. As a reader, I felt extremely sympathetic toward the main character, Leroy Moffitt. Leroy’s struggles create a sense of hopelessness throughout the story. At tremendously difficult turning point in his life, Leroy had to deal with the pleasing an unappeasable wife who constantly shoots downs his greatest dream.
As I reader, I began to feel pity for Leroy when learning that “He injured his leg in a highway accident four months ago” (6). Due to this injury, Leroy could no longer pursue his occupation as a truck driver and had to undergo physical therapy. Leroy’s occupational alternatives are highly limited due to his immobile leg. This situation is highly unfortunate. Leroy feels lost and inadequate because he cannot provide financially emotionally for Norma Jean and himself. Despite this difficult situation, Norma Jean shows no signs of pity for Leroy. She simply moves ahead with her busy daily life. Because Norma Jean is not sympathetic toward Leroy, the reader is.
The reader further sees Norma Jean’s lack of sympathy for Leroy in her negative attitude for Leroy’s log cabin plans. Leroy claims to be building this cabin for Norma Jean. However, in my opinion, Leroy is building this cabin for himself. Constructing a cabin seems to be Leroy’s true passion. Leroy had been talking about building a house for Norma Jean since the day they were married. He spends most of his time at home designing this cabin, from drawing blueprints to building Lincoln Log structures. Whenever he discusses the cabin with Norma Jean, she expresses her lack of interest in the cabin. At one point, when Leroy says he will build the house especially for her, she replies “I don’t want to live in any log cabin” (48). Leroy certainly notices Norma Jean’s disregard for the cabin. However, he continues to pursue the project, making it evident that he is not building the house for her. He is building the cabin for himself because it is one of his true passions in his problematic life. The fact that Norma Jean refuses to support Leroy’s cabin-building aspirations displays her insensitivity. Even if she does not like the idea, Norma Jean should notice that this project is Leroy’s true passion and should therefore support it. In not supporting this passion, Norma Jean aggravates Leroy’s already unfortunate situation. Her inconsiderateness makes the reader feel pity for Leroy.
Despite Norma Jean’s total neglect for Leroy’s feelings, Leroy continues to attempt to appease her and improve their battered marriage. Throughout the story, Leroy trys to amend the broken marriage through little jokes and attempts at starting a conversation. He wants to know about Norma Jean’s life. However, Norma Jeans turns a cold shoulder at his jokes and is not willing to engage in conversation. Leroy even buys an organ piano for her, knowing she used to play piano in her childhood. Norma Jean is extremely ungrateful of Leroy’s attempts to improve their relationship. She does not allow Leroy to know about or become a part of her personal life through her total neglect of him.
The climax of Leroy’s attempts to appease Norma Jean comes when he takes her on trip to Shiloh. From the beginning, Norma Jean has a negative attitude toward Shiloh. When her mother Mabel brings up the subject, Norma Jean coldly asks her “When are you going to shut up about Shiloh” (114). Leroy has trouble convincing Norma Jean to go the trip with him. When Leroy is sitting on the couch admiring the beauty of his wife, she finally agrees to go by frostily saying, “I’ll go to Shiloh with you if you’ll stop staring at me” (126). Norma Jean continues her unfriendly behavior on the voyage to Shiloh making Leroy feel like “some boring hitchhiker she has picked up” (127). In the car, she refuses to engage in conversation with Leroy by answering his attempts at conversation with monosyllables. As a reader, Norma Jean’s behavior makes me feel extremely sympathetic toward Leroy. In taking her to Shiloh, Leroy is making a clear attempt to amend the wrecked relationship. He is doing all he can to appease Norma Jean, and she treats him with disdain. Through this disdain, Norma Jean shoots down all of Leroy’s attempts to amend their relationship. All of this disdain climaxes, of course, when Norma Jean ends the marriage much to Leroy’s dismay.
Throughout the entire story, I cannot help but pity Leroy. He is a simple, handicapped man in a difficult situation trying to hold on to his loved one. Norma Jean causes Leroy a significant amount of pain due to her unfriendly demeanor toward him and her unsupportive nature toward his cabin project. Her behavior exponentially increases the amount of sympathy the reader feels for Leroy. The fact that Leroy did not end the marriage due to his wife’s total neglect shows how much he really loved her. (834)
As I reader, I began to feel pity for Leroy when learning that “He injured his leg in a highway accident four months ago” (6). Due to this injury, Leroy could no longer pursue his occupation as a truck driver and had to undergo physical therapy. Leroy’s occupational alternatives are highly limited due to his immobile leg. This situation is highly unfortunate. Leroy feels lost and inadequate because he cannot provide financially emotionally for Norma Jean and himself. Despite this difficult situation, Norma Jean shows no signs of pity for Leroy. She simply moves ahead with her busy daily life. Because Norma Jean is not sympathetic toward Leroy, the reader is.
The reader further sees Norma Jean’s lack of sympathy for Leroy in her negative attitude for Leroy’s log cabin plans. Leroy claims to be building this cabin for Norma Jean. However, in my opinion, Leroy is building this cabin for himself. Constructing a cabin seems to be Leroy’s true passion. Leroy had been talking about building a house for Norma Jean since the day they were married. He spends most of his time at home designing this cabin, from drawing blueprints to building Lincoln Log structures. Whenever he discusses the cabin with Norma Jean, she expresses her lack of interest in the cabin. At one point, when Leroy says he will build the house especially for her, she replies “I don’t want to live in any log cabin” (48). Leroy certainly notices Norma Jean’s disregard for the cabin. However, he continues to pursue the project, making it evident that he is not building the house for her. He is building the cabin for himself because it is one of his true passions in his problematic life. The fact that Norma Jean refuses to support Leroy’s cabin-building aspirations displays her insensitivity. Even if she does not like the idea, Norma Jean should notice that this project is Leroy’s true passion and should therefore support it. In not supporting this passion, Norma Jean aggravates Leroy’s already unfortunate situation. Her inconsiderateness makes the reader feel pity for Leroy.
Despite Norma Jean’s total neglect for Leroy’s feelings, Leroy continues to attempt to appease her and improve their battered marriage. Throughout the story, Leroy trys to amend the broken marriage through little jokes and attempts at starting a conversation. He wants to know about Norma Jean’s life. However, Norma Jeans turns a cold shoulder at his jokes and is not willing to engage in conversation. Leroy even buys an organ piano for her, knowing she used to play piano in her childhood. Norma Jean is extremely ungrateful of Leroy’s attempts to improve their relationship. She does not allow Leroy to know about or become a part of her personal life through her total neglect of him.
The climax of Leroy’s attempts to appease Norma Jean comes when he takes her on trip to Shiloh. From the beginning, Norma Jean has a negative attitude toward Shiloh. When her mother Mabel brings up the subject, Norma Jean coldly asks her “When are you going to shut up about Shiloh” (114). Leroy has trouble convincing Norma Jean to go the trip with him. When Leroy is sitting on the couch admiring the beauty of his wife, she finally agrees to go by frostily saying, “I’ll go to Shiloh with you if you’ll stop staring at me” (126). Norma Jean continues her unfriendly behavior on the voyage to Shiloh making Leroy feel like “some boring hitchhiker she has picked up” (127). In the car, she refuses to engage in conversation with Leroy by answering his attempts at conversation with monosyllables. As a reader, Norma Jean’s behavior makes me feel extremely sympathetic toward Leroy. In taking her to Shiloh, Leroy is making a clear attempt to amend the wrecked relationship. He is doing all he can to appease Norma Jean, and she treats him with disdain. Through this disdain, Norma Jean shoots down all of Leroy’s attempts to amend their relationship. All of this disdain climaxes, of course, when Norma Jean ends the marriage much to Leroy’s dismay.
Throughout the entire story, I cannot help but pity Leroy. He is a simple, handicapped man in a difficult situation trying to hold on to his loved one. Norma Jean causes Leroy a significant amount of pain due to her unfriendly demeanor toward him and her unsupportive nature toward his cabin project. Her behavior exponentially increases the amount of sympathy the reader feels for Leroy. The fact that Leroy did not end the marriage due to his wife’s total neglect shows how much he really loved her. (834)
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