The Sound and the Fury

The third section of the novel is narrated from the point of view of Jason Compson, the third-born Compson sibling, who is named after his father. The reader is returned to the day before Benjy’s opening section, many years after Caddy has married and left home and Quentin, as well as Father, have died. Jason is now the head of the Compson household, which consists of Mother, his brother Benjy, and his niece, Miss Quentin, along with the few Black servants who still work for the Compsons.

The opening unfolds around the breakfast table as Jason is complaining to Mother about Miss Quentin’s activities. Apparently, Miss Quentin has been skipping school, though Jason hints that her exploits are more devious than that. He reproaches Mother for not allowing him to take a firmer hand with her and badgers her until she gives in. He then confronts Miss Quentin in the kitchen, where she is trying to talk Dilsey into giving her another cup of coffee. Jason accosts her, violently “dragg[ing] her into the diningroom,” as the kimono she is wearing “came unfastened, flapping about her, dam near naked” (210). Dilsey tries to defend Miss Quentin to no avail. Jason has determined that he will take control, regardless of the consequences. He will take her to school himself to ensure she is there and that she stays there. Before they leave, Jason scolds Luster for not affixing the spare tire to the car.

Jason and Miss Quentin quarrel about money on the way to school. Jason complains about the money he must spend for her upkeep, including buying her schoolbooks. Miss Quentin protests that her mother—Caddy, who is now forbidden to visit the Compson home—sends money for her. Jason reminds Quentin that her grandmother, his mother, burns those checks as soon as they arrive. Jason is determined to quell Miss Quentin’s activities; he wants to restore the family’s reputation, which he sees as damaged because of Caddy’s transgressions, Quentin’s death suicide, and Father’s death from drinking.

After dropping his niece at school, Jason goes to the post office to retrieve the mail. There is a letter from Caddy with a check in it. Caddy asks Jason when she will hear from her daughter again; she wants to make sure she is receiving the money and that she is taken care of. Jason sends Caddy a telegraph—collect: “All well. Q writing today” (221). He also checks in on the progress of the stock market, in which he has been dabbling. He goes on to the hardware store, where he works as a clerk. His mind wanders, thinking about the depredations of his family. He remembers his mother insisting that they take on Miss Quentin after Caddy’s husband disavows both his wife and his daughter; he remembers his father’s funeral and Benjy’s lack of understanding; he recalls with bitterness that the Compson fortune is gone before he was able to benefit from it. He also frequently recollects all of the times Mother has confirmed Jason’s status, at least to her: “’You are my only hope,’ she says. ‘Every night I thank God for you’” (230).

He remembers that Caddy shows up unannounced at their father’s funeral, disguising herself under a veil. She asks to see her daughter, eventually bribing Jason to allow her. He demands that she give him the money before he arranges the visit, though she is wary of his motives. At the appointed rendezvous, Jason allows Caddy the merest glimpse of Miss Quentin, who is still an infant at this time, as he has the driver race the carriage past Caddy as quickly as possible. Caddy runs behind it as far as she can. When she confronts him afterward, he simply claims that he kept up his end of the bargain. When she intimates that she will tell Mother or Uncle Maury what Jason has done, he threatens her. If she does this, then she will never again be allowed to even see her daughter. She quickly leaves town.

Another time, Jason returns home to find Benjy in a highly agitated state. He suspects that Dilsey has let Benjy see Caddy; Benjy is clutching a slipper that Caddy left behind and crying. He threatens Dilsey’s employment should she ever let Caddy see Benjy again. Then he confronts Caddy, and that threat is coupled with another: He will also send Benjy away to the asylum in Jackson. He remembers, “after that she behaved pretty well, only one time she asked to see a statement of the bank account” (239). When he curtails that request with more threats, Caddy begs him to have Miss Quentin back, again trying to bribe him. This time, he refuses.

These memories serve as the backdrop to the present day, when Jason returns to his mail and opens Caddy’s letter to Miss Quentin: It contains a money order—not a check—for fifty dollars, which incenses Jason. He refuses to give the money to Miss Quentin, who seems desperate for it. Eventually, he tells her it is only made out for ten dollars to get her to sign it over to him (without letting her see the front side where the amount is recorded). A check he could simply deposit, but a money order must be signed by the recipient. He grudgingly gives her the ten dollars and keeps the rest for himself.

It turns out that Jason has also been forging checks from non-existent bank accounts to hand over to Mother for her to burn. The real checks from Caddy he has been keeping for himself—which is how he was able to afford his car. When Mother begins to suggest that maybe she should accept the money—thus, Jason’s scheme would be thwarted—he convinces her that her pride cannot let her accept money from a fallen woman. Jason also shares a letter from Uncle Maury, who writes to let Mother know he will be withdrawing money from her account. Jason resents Mother allowing Maury to take the money.

He returns to work, morose about the downturn of his stock and the loss of money to Maury. His boss chides him for his long absences from work, and Jason essentially dares the man to fire him. The boss hints that he is aware of Jason’s financial schemes: “I believe I know more about where that automobile came from than she does” (262). This only makes Jason more belligerent. He believes himself to be wronged by his family, the New York stock market, and especially his sister and his niece.

Jason hears the music that reminds him a traveling show has come to town, though he thinks it a waste of time and money. He walks out of the store and catches a glimpse of a woman with a man in a red tie. He finds the red tie immoderate, thinking it must belong to one of the showmen; in that moment, he realizes that it is Miss Quentin who was walking along in the alleyway with the man. A chase ensues, but Quentin evades her uncle. He goes home to get the car and returns to town. He catches a glimpse of a Ford driven by a man in a red tie, and he pursues them via automobile to the next town. He still does not find Miss Quentin and returns to find his car has a flat tire.

He finally returns to work, where he again challenges his boss to fire him, before going home for the day. He cruelly teases Luster, burning the tickets he has for the show, which Luster desperately wants. He is accosted by Mother and Dilsey, who report that Miss Quentin is home and has complained that Jason has been following her all day. He denies it and demands that Miss Quentin come down to eat dinner with him and the family. After she comes down, he proceeds to antagonize her until she runs away from the table to her room. Mother complains about how Miss Quentin has inherited her mother’s headstrong will, that naming her after her Uncle Quentin sealed her unhappy fate. Mother locks Miss Quentin in her room, and Jason finishes a cigar before going up to bed himself.