Summary
I wouldn’t lay my hand on her. The bitch
that cost me a job, the one chance I ever had to get ahead, that
killed my father and is shortening my mother’s life everyday and
make my name a laughing stock in the town. I wont do anything to
her.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
It is the morning of Good Friday, 1928,
the day before Benjy’s narration takes place. Jason Compson is in
the Compson house, fighting with his mother and with his niece,
Miss Quentin. Jason thinks back on his family and his own personal
history. His sister Caddy’s marriage to Herbert Head crumbled in 1911,
when it became apparent to Herbert that Caddy’s unborn child was
not his. Mrs. Compson refused to take Caddy in, but Mr. Compson
and Dilsey saw to it that the family took in Caddy’s child, Miss
Quentin. Jason assumed control of the household when Mr. Compson
died of alcoholism. Herbert Head had offered Jason a job at his
bank, but rescinded that offer when he divorced Caddy. This retraction
left Jason no choice but to work at the local farm-supply store.
Though Mrs. Compson hopes Jason will own the store one day, Jason
is bitter about having lost his bank job and having been forced
to work in the farm-supply store.
Now in his mid-thirties, Jason has grown into a devious
and mean-spirited man. He has concocted an elaborate scheme to pocket
the money Caddy sends him to support Miss Quentin’s upbringing.
Mrs. Compson’s poor eyesight and blind love for Jason have prevented
her from detecting his scheme. So far, Jason has stolen nearly fifty
thousand dollars from his sister and niece over the course of fifteen
years. He uses this extra money to play the cotton market and to
pay for a prostitute in Memphis. Caddy is the only one who distrusts
Jason and suspects that he is scheming.
The seventeen-year-old Miss Quentin is a headstrong,
rebellious, and somewhat promiscuous girl who frequently skips school.
Jason constantly argues with Mrs. Compson and Miss Quentin over
what should be done with Miss Quentin and how she should be treated. Jason
threatens and insults Miss Quentin and nearly beats her with his
belt until Dilsey, as always, intervenes. Jason is finally forced
to let Miss Quentin go, but makes a snarling promise that things
are not yet settled between them.
Jason returns to his unfulfilling job at the farm-supply
store and finds four letters, including one from Caddy and one from
Uncle Maury. Jason recalls his father’s funeral, after which he
agreed to look after Miss Quentin as long as Caddy stayed away and
continued to send money. The letter from Caddy contains a money
order for Miss Quentin rather than the customary check. This turn
of events throws a wrench in Jason’s scheme, as Miss Quentin will have
to sign the money order before it can be cashed. However, when Miss
Quentin comes in to collect her money, Jason bullies her into thinking
that the money order is for a mere ten dollars. He forces Miss Quentin
to sign it without looking at the amount and sends her on her way.
Back at the Compson house for dinner, Jason barely tolerates
his mother’s self-pitying melodrama and the annoying sight of his
idiot brother Benjy. Jason is deeply embarrassed about Benjy and
wants to send him to the mental hospital in Jackson as soon as possible. After
returning to work, Jason argues with his boss, Earl, about how long
he can take for his dinner break. Earl accuses Jason of having stolen
money from his mother to pay for his car. Several moments later,
while Jason is in the back room tormenting Earl’s black assistant,
he sees Miss Quentin go by with a man wearing a red tie. Jason chases
after them through the back alleys of Jefferson. He is interrupted
by a boy with a telegram, who tells Jason that his account in the
cotton market is significantly down.
Jason angrily goes home, and, driving back into town,
is nearly run down by a Ford driven by the man with the red tie.
Jason chases the Ford and looks for Miss Quentin and the man in
some underbrush. He gets out, hoping to catch Miss Quentin red-handed
with the man. Jason suddenly hears their car start and blow its
horn. He runs back to his car and finds that Miss Quentin and the
man have let the air out of one of his tires.
