My overall reaction to this book is that it was interesting to read into the different voices depicted in this book. I enjoyed how we were able to see different characters perception on their family, and make sense of the overall family dynamic. During class discussions I was also able to hear different perspectives on the book, which also helped me understand what was going on. I would have to say my favorite characters were Benji or Dilsey because of the way their views are sweeter and more concerned with their given situation. Overall, I enjoyed the book and how Faulkner switched narrators to give the reader the idea of what each character was thinking.

"All they all know it, too," I says. "everybody in this town knows what you are. But I won't have it anymore, you hear? I don't care what you do, myself," I says. "But I've got a position in this town, and I'm not going to have any member of my family going on like a nigger wench. You hear me?"
     In this scene, Jason is attempting to punish Quentin because she has not been attending school, and might possibly be scarring the Compson family name. Because of the passing of father, Jason, being the next oldest, has taken on the role as "the man of the house." Quentin and father are both dead, leaving the next capable son to deal with the family's issues. Benji is unable to care for the family, Mother is absent, Caddy is off taking care of Benji, and this leaves Jason to deal with the issues around the house. This specific quote sets up the key idea that Jason is now the caretaker of the family, and voices his frustration with this role through his harsh tone and actions.

"I says she ought to be down there in that kitchen right now, instead of up there in her room, robbing paint on her face and eating for six niggers that can't even stand up out of a chair unless they've got a pan full of bread and meat to balance them, to fix breakfast for her."
     This beginning passage is crucial to the attitude Jason has towards his niece. It becomes obvious he is frustrated with her, trying to place her in a category based off his sexist views. He also refers to the servants as "niggers", showing the readers that he is one who places people in their perceived categories. He thinks Quentin should be serving the family as a woman should, instead of putting on makeup to go out and impress the boys. He wants her around the house and following his misogynistic views. It becomes clear with this passage that Jason is a cruel man, attempting to establish his dominance over the family by keeping everyone on a tight leash. He has accepted his responsibility as the man of the house in the opposite way it was before father died.

The rest of the chapter continues to support the idea that Jason is a cruel, patronizing man, that is extremely miserable with his lifestyle. Jason is trying to uphold the reputation of the man of the house, but fails to do this as he takes an extremely nasty approach. Let's just say, Jason is not my favorite character. I do not like him at all.

I imagine Quentin as a man who seems put together, but is very much a scatter brain. He has structure to his life in an educational aspect, and is the older brother that the siblings look up to. His brain is a mess, as he is constantly skipping around while talking and flipping through his past memories. There is something deeper going on though, some sort of torment. We are only given a little glimpse into what this might be, but my guess is there is an obvious mental illness. We know from the first chapter that he is dead, so it makes me wonder if there could have been a mental illness- suicide situation involved with Quentin. He is also very concerned with Caddy, just as Benjy is. Quentin wants to protect his younger sister and would do anything for her to be happy, even if that means lying about incest. Benjy more admires Caddy in the sense that he looks up to her and enjoys her kindred spirit. The difference between the two comes down to the tone of their narration, where Benjy has a sweet and innocent tone, and Quentin has a harsher, more protective perspective.
When Quentin describes the times with his father, he is the eldest son receiving life advice. Father is bestowing valuable information to Quentin with the intention of his following. Quentin takes on the role of being grown up and taking on a mans role. He seems mighty, yet childish in the way he explains how his Father told him. There is something very immature about the way he narrates even though this could be a significant moment in his life. In this scene, he is most concerned about Caddy's virginity as his father explains how virginity was created by the man, not the women. His thoughts reside in the past while explaining this memory he had with his father.

1. Benji is the first son of the family, and because of his disability, the family's focus is largely towards him. Benji describes the events through the senses, as he is unable to communicate in other ways. Because he is more of an observer, he is able to stand back and see a different perspective on his family's actions. He is smart and able to use his senses to communicate to the readers what he is thinking.
2. The feelings exhibited by Benji, such as nostalgia and need for intimacy show that the family once had happier times. Perhaps when Benji was younger things were lighter within the family, and they lived in a much happier environment. He relies on his family members and the other characters in the book because he was raised with them always being around him for comfort. Benji's character shows the view people in the South had on the families with children like Benji. It is clear that shame was cast upon them because of the judgement they received.
3. Benji symbolizes the idea of needing dependency. He is unable to do things on his own, and the other characters have obviously readjusted their lives to make his function. They are dependent on the fact that he needs them, that he depends on them too. Although Benji may be a "burden" and the result of shame from others, Benji is able to show how others need each other by finding the balance between dependency and independency.

My thoughts on reading the FIRST page of William Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury is as follows:
- I'm confused.
- Caddy- as in the golf thing?
- Spark notes better have an awesome summary on this...
- The time shifts are too much for me
- Why is the n-word necessary, I mean, theres other less offensive words one can use.
- Who are all these people?
- Are they as cute as the guys in James Franco's movie?
- Mrs. Oles, my head hurts, can I have a tylenol instead of a novel?

My thoughts on reading the FIRST chapter of William Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury is as follows:
- Confusion is good when reading Faulkner, ask questions, answer later.
- Caddy is the desirable female character, that is depicted as sweet and attractive.
- Spark notes does nothing for comprehension of a novel, don't be tempted by this fabulous website
- N- Word: Although offensive and unnecessary, it shows the divide between the characters and the racism carried throughout this time period.
- You'll find out later Lauren, take notes.
- Lauren, no.
- OK to justify this last comment: I was in a bad mood, but after going through and really understanding the first chapter, I now know what must be done to understand this book: annotate, ask questions, and annotate some more.