In chapter five, Ruth is characterized as another Hagar: an insestuous and obsessive freak. Pilate is characterized as a headstrong, but caring individual (just caring in an extreme sort of fasion.) Both of their characterizations represent a women's situation in this story and reveals mankind's ironic misconception when it comes to women.
The scene when Milkman follows his mom to the cemetery reveals to the reader her unnatural relation with her father: Macon Dead and thus comes her negative characterization. This scene shows us the secret side of women--the side they choose to hide from the world. It also provides insight to every woman's obsessive compassion for others, not only explaining Hagar's crazy obsession with Milkman, but Pilate's violent protection of her daughter.
When Ruth tells of her childhood, she reveals her headstrong side and her compasionate side. Her compassion is shown in how she refuses to "move on" because of her brother's husband. She provides insight to how women will defy what is expected of them and do whatever it takes to get what they want. Such is the case with Hagar and her attempts to kill Milkman. This is also displayed through Ruth, when she drugs her husband so he will make love to her.
In conclusion, the women in this story are obsessive and aggressive. This is ironic because this is not how society has ever viewed women, yet it exists. Thier struggles reveal everything that they are not.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Characters' Reflections
How do the characters vary in their process of reflection?
Out of all the chapters in this book, I think the most reflective is Benjy's. Basically his whole chapter is a fragmented reflection of his past with Caddy. However, there is a method to his madness. Benjy does not just think up random moments of his life and goes with it, but instead, things in the present provoke his memories, and those memories provoke other memories. For example, at the beginning of his chapter, Benjy hears a golfer call on his caddie, which causes Benjy to reflect on past times with his sister, Caddy.
Quinten reflects on his past a little differently than Benjy. Instead of reflecting on many instances, he only focuses on one: Caddy losing her virginity. The memory keeps invading his thoughts, sometimes interrupting in the middle of sentences. Quinten can be thinking of one thing, but then in the middle of the thought jumps "Dalton Ames," which happens many times in his chapter.
Jason does not reflect on much of anything except the negative aspects of everyone around him. Whenever he has to deal with someone, he often brings up a time before when they were making an annoyance of themselves, and further explains how much it could hurt him in the future.
"Take [Benjy] on round to the back," I says. "What the hell makes you want to keep him around here where people can see him?" I made them go on, before he got started bellowing good. It's bad enough on Sundays, with that dam field full of people that haven't got a side show and six niggers to feed, knocking a dam oversize mothball around. He's going to keep on running up and down that fence and bellowing every time they come in sight until first thing I know they're going to begin charging me golf dues, then Mother and Dilsey'll have to get a couple of china door knobs and a walking stick and work it out, unless I play at night with a lantern. Then they'd send us all to Jackson, maybe. God knows, they'd hold Old Home week when that happened. "
Dilsey's chapter contains little, if any, reflection at all. In fact, it is just as much Dilsey's chapter as it is Luster's or Jason's. It is the only chapter that is presented in third person, giving it even less focus on a single character, much less their reflections.
Out of all the chapters in this book, I think the most reflective is Benjy's. Basically his whole chapter is a fragmented reflection of his past with Caddy. However, there is a method to his madness. Benjy does not just think up random moments of his life and goes with it, but instead, things in the present provoke his memories, and those memories provoke other memories. For example, at the beginning of his chapter, Benjy hears a golfer call on his caddie, which causes Benjy to reflect on past times with his sister, Caddy.
Quinten reflects on his past a little differently than Benjy. Instead of reflecting on many instances, he only focuses on one: Caddy losing her virginity. The memory keeps invading his thoughts, sometimes interrupting in the middle of sentences. Quinten can be thinking of one thing, but then in the middle of the thought jumps "Dalton Ames," which happens many times in his chapter.
Jason does not reflect on much of anything except the negative aspects of everyone around him. Whenever he has to deal with someone, he often brings up a time before when they were making an annoyance of themselves, and further explains how much it could hurt him in the future.
"Take [Benjy] on round to the back," I says. "What the hell makes you want to keep him around here where people can see him?" I made them go on, before he got started bellowing good. It's bad enough on Sundays, with that dam field full of people that haven't got a side show and six niggers to feed, knocking a dam oversize mothball around. He's going to keep on running up and down that fence and bellowing every time they come in sight until first thing I know they're going to begin charging me golf dues, then Mother and Dilsey'll have to get a couple of china door knobs and a walking stick and work it out, unless I play at night with a lantern. Then they'd send us all to Jackson, maybe. God knows, they'd hold Old Home week when that happened. "
Dilsey's chapter contains little, if any, reflection at all. In fact, it is just as much Dilsey's chapter as it is Luster's or Jason's. It is the only chapter that is presented in third person, giving it even less focus on a single character, much less their reflections.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sound and the Fury
My opinions rarely have any value, but here I go again anyway:
The Sound and the Fury is unlike any book I have ever read. The style is extremely confusing throughout the book, jumping in and out of thoughts without warning. The author depends on the reader to determine between a character's thoughts and what is actually happening.
Time means absolutely nothing--Faulkner cares not for chronological order. This is most noticeable in Benjy's chapter when Benjy jumps from reality to his memories of Caddy long ago. It is very similar Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and Billy's state of being stuck in time to revisit instances of his life.
Quinten, however, is "stuck in time" in a different sense than that of Billy. Instead of revisiting many instances in his life, he is stuck in one particular moment: Caddy's pregnancy. Although he is physically in the now, his mind is permanently left behind in that moment. The chapter constantly jumps back and forth from reality (the now) and Quinten's mind (the then).
The Sound and the Fury is unlike any book I have ever read. The style is extremely confusing throughout the book, jumping in and out of thoughts without warning. The author depends on the reader to determine between a character's thoughts and what is actually happening.
Time means absolutely nothing--Faulkner cares not for chronological order. This is most noticeable in Benjy's chapter when Benjy jumps from reality to his memories of Caddy long ago. It is very similar Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and Billy's state of being stuck in time to revisit instances of his life.
Quinten, however, is "stuck in time" in a different sense than that of Billy. Instead of revisiting many instances in his life, he is stuck in one particular moment: Caddy's pregnancy. Although he is physically in the now, his mind is permanently left behind in that moment. The chapter constantly jumps back and forth from reality (the now) and Quinten's mind (the then).
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