The Sound and the Fury

of our women have prided themselves on their carriage. Do you want to look like a washerwoman.'

'He's not too heavy.' Caddy said. 'I can carry him.'

'Well, I dont want him carried, then.' Mother said. 'A five year old child. No, no. Not in my lap. Let him stand up.'

'If you'll hold him, he'll stop.' Caddy said. 'Hush.' she said. 'You can go right back. Here. Here's your cushion. See.'

'Dont, Candace.' Mother said.

'Let him look at it and he'll be quiet.' Caddy said. 'Hold up just a minute while I slip it out. There, Benjy. Look.'

I looked at it and hushed.

'You humor him too much.' Mother said. 'You and your father both. You dont realise that I am the one who has to pay for it. Damuddy spoiled Jason that way and it took him two years to outgrow it, and I am not strong enough to go through the same thing with Benjamin.'

'You dont need to bother with him.' Caddy said. 'I like to take care of him. Dont I. Benjy.

'Candace.' Mother said. 'I told you not to call him that. It was bad enough when your father insisted on calling you by that silly nickname, and I will not have him called by one. Nicknames are vulgar. Only common people use them. Benjamin.' she said.

'Look at me.' Mother said.

'Benjamin.' she said. She took my face in her hands and turned it to hers.

'Benjamin.' she said. 'Take that cushion away, Candace.'

'He'll cry.' Caddy said.

'Take that cushion away, like I told you.' Mother said. 'He must learn to mind.'

The cushion went away.

'Hush, Benjy.' Caddy said.

'You go over there and sit down.' Mother said. 'Benjamin.' She held my face to hers.

'Stop that.' she said. 'Stop it.'

But I didn't stop and Mother caught me in her arms and began to cry, and I cried. Then the cushion came back and Caddy held it above Mother's head. She drew Mother back in the chair and Mother lay crying against the red and yellow cushion.

'Hush, Mother.' Caddy said. 'You go up stairs and lay down, so you can be sick. I'll go get Dilsey.' She led me to the fire and I looked at the bright, smooth shapes. I could hear the fire and the roof

Father took me up. He smelled like rain.

'Well, Benjy.' he said. 'Have you been a good boy today.'

Caddy and Jason were fighting in the mirror.

'You, Caddy.' Father said.

They fought. Jason began to cry.

'Caddy.' Father said. Jason was crying. He wasn't fighting anymore, but we could see Caddy fighting in the mirror and Father put me down and went into the mirror and fought too. He lifted Caddy up. She fought. Jason lay on the floor, crying. He had the scissors in his hand. Father held Caddy.

'He cut up all Benjy's dolls.' Caddy said. 'I'll slit his gizzle.'

'Candace.' Father said.

'I will.' Caddy said. 'I will.' She fought. Father held her. She kicked at Jason. He rolled into the corner, out of the mirror. Father brought Caddy to the fire. They were all out of the mirror. Only the fire was in it. Like the fire was in a door.

'Stop that.' Father said. 'Do you want to make Mother sick in her room.

Caddy stopped. 'He cut up all the dolls Mau- Benjy and I made.' Caddy said. 'He did it just for meanness.

'I didn't.' Jason said. He was sitting up, crying. 'I didn't know they were his. I just thought they were some old papers.

'You couldn't help but know.' Caddy said. 'You did it just '

'Hush.' Father said. 'Jason.' he said. 'I'll make you some more tomorrow.' Caddy said. 'We'll make a lot of them. Here, you can look at the cushion, too.'

19.18

Jason came in.

I kept telling you to hush, Luster said.

What's the matter now, Jason said.

'He just trying hisself.' Luster said. 'That the way he been going on all day.'

'Why dont you let him alone, then.' Jason said. 'If you cant keep him quiet, you'll have to take him out to the kitchen. The rest of us cant shut ourselves up in a room like Mother does.'

'Mammy say keep him out the kitchen till she get supper.' Luster said.

'Then play with him and keep him quiet.' Jason said. 'Do I have to work all day and then come home to a mad house.' He opened the paper and read it.

2.8

You can look at the fire and the mirror and the cushion too, Caddy said. You wont have to wait until supper to look at the cushion, now. We could hear the roof. We could hear Jason too, crying loud beyond the wall.

19.19

Dilsey said, 'You come, Jason. You letting him alone, is you.'

'Yessum.' Luster said.

'Where Quentin.' Dilsey said. 'Supper near bout ready.'

'I don't know'm.' Luster said. 'I aint seen her.'

Dilsey went away. 'Quentin.' she said in the hall. 'Quentin. Supper ready.'

2.9

We could hear the roof. Quentin smelled like rain, too.

What did Jason do, he said.

He cut up all Benjy's dolls, Caddy said.

Mother said to not call him Benjy, Quentin said. He sat on the rug by us. I wish it wouldn't rain, he said. You cant do anything.

You've been in a fight, Caddy said. Haven't you.

It wasn't much, Quentin said.

You can tell it, Caddy said. Father'll see it.

I dont care, Quentin said. I wish it wouldn't rain.