Group+2

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Using the websites listed on the "assignments" page, explore aspects of or perspectives on Faulkner's life and the culture of the South. Look at the webpage in detail and then __write a brief summary__ of what you discover. If there are images on the website, analyze them-what kind of image is it (graph, photograph, etc.) and what does it reveal about the subject? What does it obscure? As you gather your thoughts and learn new information, begin to think in terms of digital storytelling. How can you relate what you have learned to each of your other class members (as well as a select outside audience) through digital media? I would like you to consider creating a short video on what you have learned. Remember to sign your work after you post it.

Reread the section when Caddy dirties her underwear and continue to the scene where Benjy gives perfume to Dilsey. With markers or colored pencils, color or mark this passage (as you did on the Colored Ink sheet) to reflect how they feel Benjy is shifting in his various thought patterns. After reviewing the shifts of time and memory, consider the following questions:
 * **Who is watching Caddy up in the tree?** Benjy is watching her with Versh and Frony and the Disley finds them watching Caddy. **What is Caddy looking at?** Caddy is looking into her Grandmother's, "Damundy's", room because it is her funeral. She sees her parents and family members looking at her body. (Nathan) **What does this major event portend for the family?** This is the first of the deaths in the family leading to their falling apart. (Nathan) **How might it be symbolic for Faulkner's vision of the South?**Faulkner's vision of the south is that death is kept away from young children. He seems to show in his writing that this is bad for families because it can cause confusion and children need to understand the concept of death and dying. (Nathan)
 * **At the beginning of the chapter, Luster is with Benjy in the present. Who is with Benjy now?** He is with Versh now. **Are we in the past or present?** We are in the past. **How do you know?**We know this because Versh is the caretaker of Benjy when he is younger, and also this is a flashback because Caddy is coming home. (Melissa)
 * **Why might Caddy have flowers in her hair and a long veil?**Benjy sees her as married and as older, not as the little girl that he loves. He promiscuity is driving them apart and he doesn't seem to like the idea of her being married or getting older. (Kenna)
 * **Benjy cries when he can't smell trees anymore. What does he sense?** He senses that she has lost her youth and has become "soiled" or promiscuous. Caddy smelling like trees reminds Benjy of the the trees that they used to play in while they were little. Benjy cannot handle Caddy's budding sexuality so he can no longer smell youth in her, which is represented by the trees. He senses that she is growing up and he wants to protect her and keep her "pure", but he doesn't know how to put these feelings into actual thought so they are associated with a sense of smell. (Chad)

Notes: - When Luster is taking care of Benjy, it's in the present. When T.P. is taking care of Benjy, he' in his teens or twenties. When Versh is taking care of Benjy, he's a little kid. This is another way to keep track of time. By noting who is taking care of him, we can infer his age and what time period they are in. - Caddy ends up losing her virginity and there are several points in the first part that allude to it, such as her underwear being dirty, Benjy saying that Caddy doesn't smell like trees anymore, and the scene where Caddy interacts with another boy. - Caddy and Dilsey seem to be the only people that seemingly care about Benjy. His mother is obsessed with outward apperance, so much that she hates even nicknames. Benjy's original name was Maury but then it was changed to Benjamin by his mother. - In Faulkner's nobel prize speech, he uses the opportunity to speak to the young writers of his time. He tries to warn them against being tempted by fame and fortune and not to sacrifice a writer's true duty of giving hope to people.

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 * Do you think one person is solely responsibile for the Compson family's downfall? If not, who would you say should have the most blame for their downward spiral?**

The entire family's situation was very unfortunate and although it may have been partially a result of the time period I think the mother should take most of the blame for the Compson's downfall. Her immaturity and conceited nature made her a horrible parent, setting her children up for failure. (Kenna)

The mother never showed any of her children any love, except for Jason, the one that didn't have any capability to return her love. Quentin killed himself because of his depression, because he couldn't take Caddy's promiscuity and also because of the lack of familial love he felt from both of his parents. In his narration, he often repeats "If only I had a mother mother" so we can see that her lack of ability as a mother has deeply affected him. The mother often repressed her children in even having nicknames. She hated having Candace be called Caddy and Benjamin being called Benjy because of her obsession with the family name and honor. Her husband is also to blame because he was weak and just let the mother do whatever she wanted. He felt like that the unfortunate situations that they faced were nothing he could stop and therefore he did nothing to try to bring the family back to the honor they once had. (Melissa)

I don't think themother is the main cause for the downfall though, because all of the kids are kind of messed up. Benjy (obviously) is mentally handicapped, Quentin is insane, obsessed with is sister, and kills himself. Jason is a huge jerk, and Caddy is very promiscuous. This is sort of a recipe for disaster. The children don't bring this on themselves; they merely have traits that can't help but lead to a destructive family. If I had to put the blame on one person it would have to be on Caddy, I think, but through no fault of her own. Benjy is obsessed with her, which causes her to "attack" the walking girls. Jason is obsessed with controling her and Quentin is obsessed with her purity and her being "his." She does not want them to act this way, but her mere presence creates these emotions within all of them. (Nathan)

I do not think that the Compson family's downfall was one person's fault, but if I had to put most of the blame on one person it would be the father. The father is the most to blame because he was an alcoholic and he let it consume his life. (Chad)

I mean, all of the kids are messed up because of their parents and how they never received any love from them. Asides from Benjy, I believe all the other children were affected by their parents negatively. Caddy became rebellious because of her mother's oppression. Quentin became obsessed with southern morals and let it take over his life because he had nothing else to live by, neither of his parents gave him a reason to live and so he went insane when the only thing he had was gone. Jason was just a jerk, he took after his mother. (Melissa) **********

Yeah Jason was a jerk but I dont really think that was stemmed from his mother. He seems to be a mean natured on his own, it is quite hard to tell what exactly it stems from. It might be his mother, however his chapter deals mostly with rage against his siblings and Dilsey, not against his dead mother. If his hatred stems from her he doesn quite a good job of keeping that to himself. (Nathan) *********

I'm not saying that his mother is the object of his hatred, which is actually Caddy. He was spoiled by his mother and constantly told by his mother that he was the only one she loved. But he did take that trait of making himself a victim from his mother, this much is obvious. He blames Caddy for losing the job that he wouldn't have been offered had it not been for Caddy. The mother says that Quentin killed himself to spite her. While they're not exactly alike, there are some distinct similarities between the two of them, and it might be why the mother seems to only love him. The mother though, is definitely not as manipulative and cold-hearted as Jason is though. He even ends up ripping her off and stealing her money. I think he was mean natured to begin with, but that it developed even more through his mother and all his other siblings that he never really got along with. (Melissa) ****