Benjy's Story

The first chapter of sound of fury is difficult to even the most experienced reader to comprehend. The narrator is named Benjy. He is a mentally disabled boy of the Compson family. The people of Faulkner's time in the South most likely did not have much respect for the mentally handicapped because even Faulkner himself calls this chapter a, "tale told by an idiot." Benjy's narration seems to go back and forth between different times of his and Caddy's life. He describes scenes by using only what he can sense, at one point he even, "smells the cold on his hands." He has little obsessions that are typical of a mentally handicapped person, such as saying that Caddy always smells like trees and going back to stories about being on the golf course.


     He seems to always be talking about looking for golf balls and quarters, this is the theme that he always comes back to. This theme of reverting back to the golf course is particularly ironic because Benjy hears people saying "caddie" a lot, which is a golf term, but also his sisters name. Luster gets a rise out of Benjy by sticking around and saying Caddy's name. He also talks about his life involving Caddy; he talks of the day the pig died, the day Caddy made-out with Charlie, and the day that Damuddy dies.


    Faulkner sets up the reader with such a confusing chapter to start because the book probably advances like a human being advances through different stages of their life. Benjy represents the baby because he describes details of his side of the story by using his senses alone. Faulkner also wanted to set us up for the crazy time shifts, why not start on the first chapter? Benjy is treated as though he is just stupid because he was originally given the name of his brother Maury, but they thought that since Benjy is mentally handicapped it would dishonor his brother to have the same name. Caddy is very protective of Benjy and has nothing but love for him. The Compson family is very mean to Benjy because they sell their land to be turned into a golf course while Benjy is still roaming around on the land. The family doesn't care about Benjy, but Caddy truly did care for him. This chapter says that family will always stick in your brain and little things that your family does will always stick in your brain, even if you are mentally handicapped.


    Faulkner brings in Christmas, Easter and the fact that Benjy is the age of Jesus when he was crucified. This may mean that Faulkner thought that Jesus was mentally- handicapped himself, therefore unable to complete tasks such as not allowing evil. Faulkner points out that maybe we need a new Jesus, but this concept of Jesus in this novel is difficult to grasp so far.


    Overall, Benji provides us with a very hard-to-understand description of the events that happened with Caddy. He shows Caddy as a very compassionate person that loves and understands people. She understands that Benjy is different and he can't help the fact that he is different, so she loves him.