Quentin Chapter June 2, 1910

This chapter, written from Quentin's perspective, is written with opinion, unlike Benjy's chapter. He shows his self in this chapter by the way in which he presents his opinions and thoughts. He expresses his pain and suffering. All of this gives the reader a sense of who Quentin is. For example he presents his memories of how much he loved Caddy, and how much pain it caused him when she got pregnant and married. He wanted them to run away together. This gives you an idea for how he feels towards Caddy. He also becomes very jealous of her pregnancy and pressures her with questions about who the father is. He lies and tells his dad that he is the father, presenting the idea that Quentin wishes to have been the father. His personality is also shown in the present when he helps an Italian girl. He gives her bread and tries to bring her back home. This shows his caring and compassionate side. Another way that we are given a chance to see his personality is in his thoughts. For example he always thinks of dark and hard times. He expresses the need for killing himself and the release from this awful time, showing his depression.

Although we get a good look at who Quentin is, the chapter is still very disorienting. I think William Faulkner presented it this way to not only show the way in which people's memories and thoughts work, but to also show Quentin's pain and suffering in his life. Benjy's chapter was disorienting to show his disoriented thoughts, whereas Quentin's is disorienting to show his pain and the fact that he is stuck in his past and can rarely be in the present. His flashbacks are hard to decipher from the present symbolizing his hard life. His chapter is confusing in that he will associate memories with certain objects or people. It is hard, as a reader, to determine the past from the present. His memories are also randomly thrown throughout the chapter, making it hard to put them all together. This is done often because he too often thinks of his past, and of Caddy. Rarely in the chapter does he talk about the present, because he is rarely in the present.

This chapter presents Quentin in the state of depression. He seems to always think back on something sad and dark. For example his memories consist a lot of Caddy and how she got pregnant and married. His depression and need to get away from Caddy's love for other men is shown when he suggests that they both commit suicide. He also thinks about suicide a lot, suggesting that he thinks it is the only way to escape his thoughts of Caddy. He thinks of her in a way that he needs to be with her, and the fact that he is not with her destroys him. He cannot escape the thought of her and of being with her.