The first main point that Cleanth Brooks makes is that the story is told through one obsessed consciousness after another. Brooks response to this is that the readers movement through the book is a progression from murkiness to increasing enlightenment, and this is natural since we start with the mind of an idiot, go on next through the memories and reveries of the Hamlet-like Quentin, and come finally to the observations of the brittle, would-be rationalist His second main point is that each section with the brothers represents their different conceptions of love they imply. 2 Benjys being the most simple childlike form,
Quentin love being most complex with his sister and Jasons not having any love for anything except when it is strictly The finale main point he makes is the brothers and Dilseys relationship with time. Brooks says Benjy has no more sense of time than an animal has. Quentins obsession with his past makes him resent the future. As for Jason he is only concerned with something that has to be done and is incapable of any real living. 3 On the other hand Dilsey has no oppressed feelings about time. All of these elements, love, time and stream of consciences give us, as Brooks states, the brothers status as human beings.
Through each character we see the stream of consciences marking memories with each person. With this stream of consciences comes the complex kind of love each one has towards another. We see this kind of love from a maternal instinct to an obsession and finally to a self gratifying cold hearted point of view. The perspective of time, each Compson had, relays to us what state of mind each one was in.
The more we read into the book the more time becomes relevant to us until we come to Dilseys section were she says Ive seed de first en de last. Which means that the Compsons time has come to an end. To summarize this article Brooks sees Benjys stream of conscience as a vivid stream of the senses. He sees Benjys conception of love as simple like a child seeking a maternal love. Benjys perception of time tells Brooks that he is locked almost completely into a timeless present. 6 His brother Quentin is filled with a low self esteem and can not get over the failures of his family. He has an obsession with his sister that is not about love but possession of her virtuousness.
He is infatuated with time because he cant posses it. Brooks describes Jason as someone who is out only for himself because that is who he loves most. His obsession with time has to do with any kind of money that he can make fast and easy. Out of all the failures that have occurred to the family Dilsey, a black slave, who has everything going against her is the only one to come out with a life changing Brooks response about the movement through the brothers consciences starting out rough and ending up smooth is followed clearly from beginning to the end of the book.
We begin with a mud puddle for a stream consciences with Benjy. His only conception of anything is his sense of smell which he regularly points out that Caddy smells like trees. Next we are moved to Quentin who has a conscience like a fast flowing river that separates often. Quentin can never stop thinking and often times leaves us trailing from one thought to the next without finishing the first thought. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Richard Compson announce the… 8 and then he starts to say something else.
Lastly, with Jason, we are in a cold lake. His stream of conscience is to the point. His section starts off right away talking about women. Once a bitch always a bitch. 9 is what he says. We can see, in Jasons section, that the family is heading for a breakup because of his clear stream of onscience Faulkner provides us with. The different levels of love each child posses is something we can all relate to. At one point in our life Benjys maternal love, with Caddy, was one that we had with our mother.
We all have had the protective love obsession, like Quentin had with Caddy, with someone we dont want to see hurt. As for Jason, he is similar to a bad business that we read about, he is only out for profit and not concerned with the effects he is having on the people surrounding him. Unlike what Brooks says about Benjy not having a sense of time I have to disagree. If anyone in this family has an cute sense of time it is him. He knew his time with Caddy was coming to an end when he said, I couldnt smell trees anymore.. 10 even though her arms were wrapped around him in this scene.
He makes a couple of other references to smell with other people but not as important as the comment he makes about his brother Quentin. Quentin smelled like rain. 11 This could mean that he foresaw the death of Quentin before it was going to happen. Giving us this foresight, before we knew what was going to happen, we later find out that Quentin throws himself into a river. So if Benjy could smell the death of Damuddy why would the smell f Quentins death be any different from hers? We see Quentins obsession with time when he goes to commit suicide.
He cant let go of his past failures and he is so wrapped up in them that he doesnt seem to notice the most prestigious school he is attending. Jasons vulture approach to time is measured by the dollar amount he can make. This is pointed out most notably when he makes reference to the stock market numbers coming to his broker to late to do anything about. In this case time is to slow for him and he loses his In conclusion Faulkner left his best character for us last. Dilsey could be seen as our sane stream of conscience.
As one reads through this book trying to find meaning to the Compsons brothers thoughts is like trying to tell Dilsey her Easter sermon really wasnt an enlightenment just for her but for us also. This sermon makes references to key biblical passages that coincide almost exactly with what was happening with the Compson family. Their past, present and future were told in that sermon and Dilsey replied, Never you mind me. 12 This is a reference to Jesus speaking in Revelation 22. 13 were he said I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. 13 Shortly there after we come to the end of the Compsons.
