Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Final Reaction
Overall I enjoyed the book, but it was very confusing and convoluted. Falukners writing style made the book both confusing and more clear. I didn't like the time sequences, because they made it seem like there was no plot. However, after finishing the book it was my favorite of all the books we have read. One of my favorite themes from the discussion yesterday was the discussion about what the book would be like if Benjy was mentally sound. I think that the family would be much more functional, because mother would have been able to raise each kid equally, instead of focusing solely on Benjy. She could spread the love to each child, and perhaps that would have fixed their issues. I also really liked the last chapter, because Jason finally got what was coming to him when Miss Quentin stole his money. His inability to adapt to the new south was his downfall, and through him Faulkner is saying that those who don't want to change with the times will be forced to do so. However, I wish the book had a more satisfying ending, because we don't get to find out what happens to any of the family members.
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I completely agree with your thoughts. The way he had different times for the chapters and then skipped around throughout Benjy's and Quentin's chapters made it even harder to follow and to build a sequential plot with all the pieces. I was a little disappointed with the ending as well since we didn't get a complete start-to-finish story. Your interpretation of what Faulkner was trying to say through Jason was a great point to bring up because it really expresses the meaning of the work and Jason's role as a character. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think the point you brought up in Benjy being mentally sound would have been a real game-changer in this novel because he could have had the capability to bring his family together because of his semblance of charisma. Though it is not certain that this would be true or not, it is interesting to think about nonetheless.
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