Euboeleus: Greek God who led others back from the Underworld (pg 148)

Running the beast with two backs sex

Quentin trying to bring Caddy back from her world of men
Euboeleus myth-leads people back from the dark using torches
Zeus and the swan (pg 167)
Zeus disguises himself as a swan because he loves Leda (who is married to the King of Sparta)
she bears two eggs with two kids each
one egg from Zeus (has Helen and Polydeuces)
one egg from Tyndareus the King (with Castor and Clytemnestra)
Flame represents hell (pg 116)
Foreshadows Quentins suicide
Purity (pg 116)
Mr. Compson is contradicting himself: virginity doesnt matter then he makes fun of Quentin for
being one
How does the work both reflect and contradict the spirit of the times?
At this time, sex outside of marriage was shunned
Mr. Compson is saying it doesnt matter, men can do whatever they want
But there isnt any birth control (pg 50: Agnes Mabel Becky condom brand)
Double standard: men can do whatever but women shouldnt get pregnant
North vs South?
Mr. Compson doesnt care about the concept, makes fun of it
Contrasts with how focused Quentin is on it
Honeysuckle parallels Caddy (pg 154-156)
Quentin with Caddy and Dalton Ames
Quentin decides to go on a walk, Caddy doesn't want him to
Honeysuckle seems like a sweet scent, but its starting to suffocate him
Honeysuckle symbolizes Caddy because she isnt pure anymore
She is now a burden, suffocating him because he feels like he failed
Pg 150-151
Begins with air drizzling with honeysuckle transitions to thick, gray
As passage progresses, honeysuckle smell gets thicker parallels how he is thinking
about Caddy
Pg 169-170 honeysuckle was the saddest odor of all
Difference between Dilsey and Mrs. Compson Dilsey fulfills role of mom
Smell of honeysuckle haunts him at night smell of his childhood
Thinks of black people as less but his mom wasnt there for him and Dilsey was
Difference between what he knows is true and what he is taught is true
Smell haunts him because its the smell of his childhood and thats when he failed
Pg 128: first mention of honeysuckle
Context: young Italian girl is following him around
Content: Mr. Compson is talking about how women are filthy because of their menstrual cycle
Honeysuckle is mixed up with womanly functions
Pg 115-116 leaf, natural decay
Starts describing the leaf decaying in the water then the leaf becomes his body
decaying his eyes and the flatirons float up at the end
Personification of nature dry leaves whisper (115) water is clear, whispering and clucking
about the stone
Almost peaceful in state of mind of someone who has decided what they want to
do

Theme of natural decay Quentin thinks it is his turn to decay peaceful but also
twisted
Connection to South: lots of agriculture
South is decaying, Quentin represents the south
He is being drowned in the North
Perhaps being changed by northern values
Doesnt fit in in the north
Everyone recognizes his accent
He cant talk about black people in the same way
Pg 174: Quentin doesnt know where he belongs mississippi or massachusetts I am I was
not
Neither a northerner or a southerner doesnt belong in either place
Non fui, sum fui (174) from non fui, fui, non sum, non curo
Means I was not; I was; I am not; I do not care
Epicurus: death should not be feared
Fate pg 176
Quentin set his mind, nothing left to live for
Key words: fate, temporary,
So much chaos in the passage even he does not know what is going on in his head
Temporary his obsession with time
I am temporary accepts his fate
Seems to be an internal struggle but also a conversation with his father
Motif: church bells tolling
Pg 174, 177 says sound, throws in fury as well
Syntax: crazy, no periods (176-178)
Leading up to his last hours before his suicide
Bottom of 178 syntax seems to normalize a bit
Connection to Epicurus, he has accepted death
Pg 178-end the last note sounded...open the bag any more
Telling of who Quentin is, his values
Last note sounded, leaving for the last time but he is still making sure he looks like a proper
southern gentleman
Why does syntax become normal?
Pages of internal struggle, once decision is made, he snaps back into reality and is officially
done with it
Gasoline-strong smell
Gasoline to Jason is honeysuckle to Quentin
He used the gasoline to get the blood out of his clothes (stain remover?)
Pg 166 the fight
Quentin asked Dalton Ames if he had any sisters, Dalton Ames said no, but theyre all Bs
Did you ever have a sister? No jumped him
Reminds him of Dalton?
PTSD? (ask Dominic)
Gerald was bad-mouthing women offended Quentins ideals of how women should
be treated
Religious references
Crucifixion of Christ happened at 33 Benjy is 33
Occurs right around Easter
Christ was worn away by the minute clicking of little wheels

The crucifixion isnt what kills the person, the time on the cross kills the person because they
cannot support themselves and hang and suffocate
Quentin has an exaggerated sense of self
176-178: flurry of thought, long sentences, allusions to mythology/God very
intellectual
Lives an aristocratic life exaggerates to himself how horrible his problems are
102-103: Mrs. Compson talking about how she married someone higher than her
A woman is either a lady or not
She was a Bascomb, she married up into the Compson family
Thinks her greed in marrying up brought these troubles on her family (Benjy-mental, Quentinungrateful, Caddy-promiscuous)
To what extent to male and female literary characters accurately reflect the role of men and
women in their respective societies?
Southern ideals that bind individuals to families
Both Quentin and Mrs. Compson feel as if they have failed
Quentins life is good, but he is very very depressed
Serious history of mental health issues in the family
Also very sensitive (not good in society at this time)
Quentin depressed?
To what extent are characters influenced or shaped by the world around them?
Focus shifts a lot, flashbacks, short syntax instability gathering thoughts
Quentin compared to Benjy
Differences:
Quentin not as extreme as Benjy, smart enough to get into Harvard, understands what is going
on, but some of his actions are unexplainable
Benjy more observing from 3rd person
Quentin grappling with consequences of his actions
Benjy external problems, Quentin internal problems
Neither is at fault for their problems, lots of pressure from outside
Similarities:
both struggle with time, processing time
Quentin: not being able to control
Benjy: trouble discerning what it is, views life in series of flashbacks
Struggle with control
Quentin: couldnt control Caddy
Benjy: always being watched over by a caretaker
Mental difficulties?
Quentin: depression, doesnt think things through (even if brain more developed than Benjys
Quentins struggle is mainly internal
Syntax is more structured when talking to others, more scattered when alone
But: Quentin feels a lot of responsibility and pressure from outside
Sold pasture to get him to college
Father becoming alcoholic
Fails to protect Caddy blames himself for actions outside of his control
Each character plays a role in the downfall of the family
Caddy deals with it through promiscuity, Quentin through suicide, Mr. Compson through drinking
Why start with Benjy?
Unfiltered
Only one that isnt at fault powerless to explain it
Reducto absurdum of all human experience (pgs 76, 85, 90)

Absurd conclusion Quentin is questioning his own worth

Flashback in a flashback: Mr. Compson recalling Grandfathers words Not so that you
remember time, but so that you forget it
Victory is an allusion
Watch is the Grandfathers (Colonel Sartoris)
Motif of shadows
Parallel between shadows and the past past always follows you, even if you arent
thinking about it
Italian girl
Quentin is a foreigner in the north
Quick movements, girl is afraid, gesturing to communicate
Quentin trying to help, baker is quick to judge
Girl: stereotypical innocent character
Easy to victimize the girl, Quentin comes to her help
Baker is foil for girl, Quentin primitive/instinctive nature of humans to judge
Others judged Quentin for his accent, cant talk about blacks without people thinking he is racist
Highlighting how helpless people are in a foreign land
Only can succeed through compassion and help from others
Ability to transition baker stern at first, ends by handing her a bun
kite=derogatory term for Jews, wop=derogatory term for immigrants
Is it Faulkner or Quentin using these derogatory terms?
Faulkner characterizing himself?
Mad he didnt get his book published
Each narrator represents Faulkners progression dealing with the rejection of his book (starts
disoriented, proceeds to thinking nothing good will ever happen, then becomes Jason thinking
everyone is bad, then settles at Dilsey)
When Quentin runs away mental instability
Begins thinking about Caddy and the time when he slaps her regret, he has failed
her
By remembering Caddy he doesnt want to fail the Italian girl as well
Keeps looking back as running remorse?
Girl finally speaks when Julio shows up
Intro: southern writing is angry, a little bit of south comes out into the writer
A lot of underlying depression, guilt, sadness in each character
Why is everyone so sad? What is causing the decline?
What is Faulkner trying to say about the anger in his writing?
Jasons section
Why is Caddy out of the picture?
Herbert finds out Ms. Quentin is not his child split
Wants Ms. Quentin to grow up without being surrounded by this scandal
But when she gets older she learns about Caddy comes begging for the money
Ironic: makes similar mistakes that Caddy did
Would you side with Jason or Ms. Quentin?
Money issue
Money is supposed to be sent to Quentin
Money to Mrs. Compson Jason takes it, Mrs. Compson burns the fake check
Candaces room
Ms. Quentin uses the same tree to get out of the house