April Seventh, 1928
Benjy is mentally disabled
Because of this he lacks many things like a sense of time, cause and effect, or morality
Because Faulkner writes this section as if he were in the mind of benjy, we really only see small portions of the compsons life that
Faulkner keeps our attention through these little pieces to keep us reading more
This confusing section is based around benjy’s five senses
Because he cannot fully understand the world around him, he is unable to understand the difference between past and present
Faulkner gives the reader a small glimpse into the life of someone that lives that way through benjy’s fixation on what he can feel or smell
An example of this would be that caddy always smells like trees or he feels
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Even though she doesn 't smell like trees anymore and benjy is upset she still loves and cares for him
The trees symbolize natural purity and benjy being able to smell that shows caddys innocence and it gives comfort to benjy
The misogynistic double standards of the old south are shown many times throughout the text, the first major time is when Mrs. Compson condones uncle Murray 's affair but she keeps giving him money Later when Caddy is known to be having sex without being married Mrs. Compson disowns her and disgraces her.
Caddy’s muddy underwear is a very literal example for her promiscuity and her losing her innocence. It is also seen on a family scale of her losing her family honor and smudging the family name
Benjy makes the connection of caddys smell to her childlike innocence.
We see an example of foreshadowing in benjy section and his ability to see things without really recognizing whats