The Sound and the Fury · Chapter
April Seventh, 1928 explained
Benjy Compson's fragmented narrative moves between the present day (April 7, 1928) and memories of his childhood, particularly the night of Damuddy's death and Caddy's care for him.
What happens
Benjy Compson's fragmented narrative moves between the present day (April 7, 1928) and memories of his childhood, particularly the night of Damuddy's death and Caddy's care for him. In the present, Luster takes Benjy around the Compson property, where they encounter a man with a red tie and Miss Quentin. Benjy's memories are triggered by sensory details, including the smell of trees and the sight of golfers. The chapter also includes scenes of Jason's cruelty and Quentin's defiance, as well as Benjy's fixation on the gate where he once waited for Caddy.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Memory
Benjy's non-linear narrative blurs past and present, with sensory triggers (smells, sounds) evoking memories of Caddy and childhood.
Loss and Innocence
Benjy's innocence is contrasted with the family's decay; his cries for Caddy symbolize the loss of maternal care and childhood security.
Family and Decay
The Compson family is fractured: Jason's cruelty, Miss Quentin's rebellion, and Benjy's dependency highlight the household's dysfunction.
Characters to notice
- Benjy Compson
Narrator; experiences fragmented memories and sensory triggers; cries when Caddy leaves or when he senses loss.
- Caddy Compson
Central figure in Benjy's memories; comforts him as a child; her absence in the present drives Benjy's distress.
- Luster
Benjy's caretaker in the present; searches for a lost quarter to attend a show; interacts with the man in the red tie.
- Jason Compson IV
Present in the household; reads the paper, threatens Miss Quentin, and shows impatience with Benjy.
- Miss Quentin
Defiant and rebellious; argues with Jason; runs away after a confrontation; associated with the man in the red tie.
- Dilsey Gibson
Cares for the children in Benjy's memories; calls them to supper; maintains order in the household.
Key passages
“She wadded the drawers and scrubbed Caddy behind with them. “It done soaked clean through onto you.” she said.”
Dilsey cleaned Caddy with the underwear, noting that the mud had soaked through to her skin.
Illustrates Dilsey's care for Caddy during childhood, contrasting with the neglect in the present.
“Versh said, Your name Benjamin now. You know how come your name Benjamin now. They making a bluegum out of you.”
Versh tells Benjy that his name was changed to Benjamin, and that people are turning him into a 'bluegum' (a superstitious term).
Reflects the family's renaming of Benjy and the racial superstitions of the time.
“I tried to say, but they went on, and”
Benjy attempted to speak to the girls passing by the gate, but they ignored him and continued walking.
Highlights Benjy's isolation and inability to communicate, tied to his longing for Caddy.