Absolutism in a Changing World
Henry Adams, a Pulitzer prizing winning historian and author, once said “Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man” (Adams). Adams argue that though man attempts to conform nature to fit a sense of order, the chaos inherent in nature will always remain. This pursuit for order can be seen in man’s micromanaging of time and attempts to use science to control nature, such as genetic engineering. However, this perpetual pursuit of order counterintuitively increases man’s fear of chaos. William Faulkner discusses this topic of dealing with chaos through the portrayal of Quentin and Benjy within the novel, The Sound and the Fury. In The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner argues that time destroys all …show more content…
Quentin’s intelligence eventually forces him to accept the passing of purity while Benjy’s innocence and retardation allows him to retain his hope for Caddy’s return. However, the symbolization and deification of Caddy underlies both perspectives. Quentin demands Caddy retain her virginity in order to legitimize his view of her as a symbol of purity. For example, when hearing Caddy say “I’ve got to marry somebody” (Faulkner 72), Quentin instinctively thinks back to when “…they told me the bone would have to be broken again” (Faulkner 72). Quentin demands out of Caddy that she remain a virgin even though he knows her to be sexually active, thus he feels such pain when hearing her accepting marriage. Faulkner portrays this to demonstrates that an absolutist view of the world can only be maintained by forcing other to conform to your world. Similarly, Benjy relates the Caddy to a feeling of normalcy. For example, when Caddy uses perfume for the first time, Benjy “couldn’t smell trees anymore and I began to cry” (Faulkner 26). Caddy’s attempt to mature introduces an unfamiliarity that drives Benjy into a frenzy, thus causing her to retract her development. Without intention, Benjy forces Caddy to conform her way of life to his demands. Quentin and Benjy similarly force Caddy to be either symbol of purity in the world, even though she must eventually development out of their images of what she must be. To conclude, Faulkner demonstrates the irrationality of an absolutist view of life by portraying how it must be supported by othering conforming to legitimize one’s
Henry Adams, a Pulitzer prizing winning historian and author, once said “Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man” (Adams). Adams argue that though man attempts to conform nature to fit a sense of order, the chaos inherent in nature will always remain. This pursuit for order can be seen in man’s micromanaging of time and attempts to use science to control nature, such as genetic engineering. However, this perpetual pursuit of order counterintuitively increases man’s fear of chaos. William Faulkner discusses this topic of dealing with chaos through the portrayal of Quentin and Benjy within the novel, The Sound and the Fury. In The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner argues that time destroys all …show more content…
Quentin’s intelligence eventually forces him to accept the passing of purity while Benjy’s innocence and retardation allows him to retain his hope for Caddy’s return. However, the symbolization and deification of Caddy underlies both perspectives. Quentin demands Caddy retain her virginity in order to legitimize his view of her as a symbol of purity. For example, when hearing Caddy say “I’ve got to marry somebody” (Faulkner 72), Quentin instinctively thinks back to when “…they told me the bone would have to be broken again” (Faulkner 72). Quentin demands out of Caddy that she remain a virgin even though he knows her to be sexually active, thus he feels such pain when hearing her accepting marriage. Faulkner portrays this to demonstrates that an absolutist view of the world can only be maintained by forcing other to conform to your world. Similarly, Benjy relates the Caddy to a feeling of normalcy. For example, when Caddy uses perfume for the first time, Benjy “couldn’t smell trees anymore and I began to cry” (Faulkner 26). Caddy’s attempt to mature introduces an unfamiliarity that drives Benjy into a frenzy, thus causing her to retract her development. Without intention, Benjy forces Caddy to conform her way of life to his demands. Quentin and Benjy similarly force Caddy to be either symbol of purity in the world, even though she must eventually development out of their images of what she must be. To conclude, Faulkner demonstrates the irrationality of an absolutist view of life by portraying how it must be supported by othering conforming to legitimize one’s