The Brothers Compson

Benjy and Quentin Compson seem as different as two relatives could possibly be. While they may be made of almost identical genotypes, they seem to bare almost no resemblance to one another as individuals, let alone in a familial sense. However, I’d like to argue that in all honesty, the two have more in common than what first meets the eye.

While Benjy has one very important difference, that being his mental deficiencies, it is clear that he is far from the idiot title that he has been ascribed. And similarly, while Quentin is meant to represent the elegance of the southern gentleman, the grace of his family name; his ultimate suicide is a clear indication of the mess that laid hidden beneath the surface. Both men are attached to labels that do not accurately describe the human within.

Both men are clearly very sensitive. This is depicted in Benjy’s character by his moaning for Caddy and his cries when something bad is occurring. He constantly shows impressive observational skills with his auditory reactions. Quentin too is often caused physical pain over his emotions. He was horribly distraught over his sister’s pregnancy, a despair that h never truly recovered.

Lastly and perhaps most significantly, both Compson sons are trapped by themselves. While they each feel a great deal, neither one is able to act upon his thoughts or emotions. In the case of Benjy, he quite often senses what is happening around him, sometimes even more accurately than most of the other Compsons. However, due to his disabilities, he is not able to communicate any of his feelings to his loved ones or peers. This isolates him in a world where no one understand him. Likewise, Quentin is paralyzed as well. He is paralyzed by the southern code that he holds so dear, and often cannot separate from it and think practically. Quentin is always full of vague ideas, such as his plots for revenge on Dalton Ames, but in reality, Quentin becomes too consumed by his thoughts to ever bring them to fruition. Because of this, he too remains isolated. These two brothers who seem to be worlds apart actually share many of the same battles, making them closer than one would have thought.