Today I was sitting in class and I tried to articulate an idea that I have been stewing over ever since I finished The Sound and the Fury, the idea that Benjy is much smarter than most readers, let alone the Compson family, give him credit for. What stopped me is my inability to explain as well as I needed to without taking up 20 minutes and boring the entire class. So, instead, I will take 20 minutes here and bore everybody (just kidding, hopefully it won't be boring...or 20 minutes).
Most people in class identified Benjy's ability to notice things and attribute it to his mental problems, saying that Benjy's senses are heightened because of his problem. At the same time, however, people are still making the same stereotype that the Compson family is making, the same generalization that the class is quick to point out. If people are willing to say the Benjy is the only clear, objective voice in the entire novel (except for perhaps Dilsey), I don't see why it is so much of a reach to say that Benjy not only is noticing things, but that he is cognizant of some of the implications. It is not so strange that a figure in literature would know more than society would anticipate, take One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Phil made the interesting point that Benjy only notices the significant events in the book, that he is aware of things like his name change and Damuddy's death. Benjy also notices Caddy's change from smelling like trees to smelling like perfume, and her dirty underpants. I don't think that this is just a naive observation, as some people in class thinks, but rather Benjy's awareness of what has happened to Caddy.
Benjy is not unaware, he is just not able to convey his thoughts in the way that "normal" people would. Instead, Benjy conveys his emotions and thoughts through pure emotion and simple explanation of the situation. His screaming is not just sadness at being apart from Caddy or from being pushed down, but his only way of expressing his distaste for the situation and world that he is living in. Also remember that Benjy is 33, he has seen a lot, and his unique way of recollection keeps things that have happened years ago fresh in his mind, because it is difficult for him to discern a memory from the present. Maybe Benjy is supposed to be the idiot, but, in my mind at least, it is the other narrators who are idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Clay! Just thought I'd drop you a line since your blog title is so clever and all.
I totally agree with your assessment of Benjy not being the "idiot" some people claim he is. Through his keen sensitivity and observations, Benjy is the only member of the Compson family who is actually aware of its impending destruction because he always lives in the moment. To me, Benjy's character drives home Faulkner's idea that humans create their own meaningless misery when they fail to accept life as a simple state of being and instead insist on wallowing in the past or obsessing over the future. I feel like so many kids in our school face the same problem by constantly living for the sake of getting into college. Sometimes I lose sight of what the future actually means because I'm so busy thinking about it in the present. Haha, anyway I'll stop writing now. I'm starting to understand what you meant when you said this whole blogging thing is addictive.
hey-
1. your AP English class is apparently much higher functioning than mine was if you've already talked about "If people are willing to say the Benjy is the only clear, objective voice in the entire novel (except for perhaps Dilsey)" I'm jealous! It took me like 10 years to figure that out.
2. I think you're partially right--I'm not sure if "smarter" is the right word, but do think that he's aware of more fundamental truths than the other Compsons are. I'm just not sure that he knows that he knows--you're right, he DOES know about Caddy, and it isn't just that she smells different, he knows that she, and in turn, his relationship with her, has been altered forever, but I'm not sure he knows why. I remember our professor saying it was possible to read him as an "idiot savant," which is a term that's kind of vague to me, but I think means what you've said.
3. miss you (and weirdly, I also mentioned SATF in my blog today)
I agree, Amanda, I'm not sure if smarter is the right word, and I do think that maybe he knows and recognizes these things without necessarily thinking "oh i realize... to bad I can't tell anybody" maybe I didnt express that clearly
It seems to me that Benjy preceives the truth through his soul instead of his brain.
wooooooot ap's little bro has a blog, and he loves the yankees! hi clay, my name's erin, and i adore your sister, so by proxy, i adore you.
Post a Comment