Benjyの役割
静けさの中の価値観が示すもの

　The Sound and the Furyを読み、Benjyの役割について考える際、読者にはヨクナパトーファ群ジェファソンという、架空のアメリカ南部の町に暮らすコンプソン家の物質的・精神的崩壊の歴史を通して露呈される物事の表裏、あるいは対称性を正確に見極めるために、各章の語り手である白痴・自殺寸前の大学生・現実的で物欲的な30歳の男をはじめとする、登場人物それぞれのおかれた状況や彼らの性格および価値観を絶えず第三者の視点から比較することが要求される。

　第１章、黒人の少年にお守りをされた３３歳の誕生日を迎えた白痴の男Benjyの世界は、誰かの夢の中を覗くように無防備な安らぎのみから生まれる独特のやさしさと脆さが混然としている。Mr.Compson の言葉を借りれば、“the air thin and eager like this, with something in it sad and nostalgic and familiar.”(p.123)と形容される、ある種混沌とした複雑さの中に、私たちが見失いがちな日常のあたたかさを備えた奥深い世界である。

　しかしこの世界について何の予備知識も与えられていない読者にとって、作品冒頭からの混乱は必至であり、その混乱は多少を問わず衝撃に値するだろう。

Benjyの章を分析するために、読者の混乱を招くふたつの主な元凶をあげてみよう。 　まず、Benjyが白痴であるという人物設定そのものがあげられる。 　口をきくことさえできない白痴の彼には、物事の判断や観察、状況や心情の推察などはできない。彼ができるのはただ物事を見たり聞いたりし、行動することだけである。第１章のどのページを開いてもわかるような例をあげると、

“Here, caddie." He hit. They went away across the pasture. I held to the fence and watched them going away.
"Listen at you, now." Luster said. "Aint you something, thirty three years old, going on that way*Hush up that moaning*." (p.3)

“Wait a minute.” Luster said. “You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through here without snagging on that nail."
　Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see...
　Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or they'll get froze. You don't want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.
　"It's too cold out there." Versh said. "You don't want to go out doors."
　"What is it now." Mother said...
　"Did you come to meet Caddy," she said, rubbing my hands. "What is it. What are you trying to tell Caddy.” Caddy smelled like trees and like when she says we were asleep.
　What are you moaning about, Luster said...
　"What is it.” Caddy said. “What are you trying to tell Caddy. Did they send him out, Versh.”（pp. 4-7）

　I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. (p.76)

　It was propped against the collar box and I lay listening to it. Hearing it, that is. I dont suppose anybody ever deliberately listens to a watch or a clock. You dont have to. You can be oblivious to the sound for a long while, then in a second of ticking it can create in the mind unbroken the long diminishing parade of time you didn't hear. Like Father said down the long and lonely light-rays you might see Jesus walking, like. And the good Saint Francis that said Little Sister Death, that never had a sister. (p.76)

where all stable things had become shadowy paradoxical all I had done shadows all I had felt suffered taking visible form antic and perverse mocking without relevance inherent themselves with the denial of the significance they should have affirmed thinking I was I was not who was not was not who. (p.170)

　Then they talked about what they would do with twenty-five dollars. They all talked at once, their voices insistent and impatient, making of unreality a possibility, then a probability, then an incontrovertible fact, as people will when their desires become words. (p.117)

　He leaned on the rail, looking down at the acrimony, the conflict, was gone from their voices, as if to them too it was as though he had captured the fish and bought his horse and wagon, they too partaking of that adult trait of being convinced of anything by an assumption of silent superiority. (p.118)

Man the sum of his climatic experiences Father said. Man the sum of what have you. A problem in impure properties carried tediously to an unvarying nil: stalemate of dust and desire. (p.124)

Benjyの役割
静けさの中の価値観が示すもの

　The Sound and the Fury(書名はイタリック)を読み、Benjyの役割について考える際、読者にはヨクナパトーファ群ジェファソンという、架空のアメリカ南部の町に暮らすコンプソン家の物質的・精神的崩壊の歴史を通して露呈される物事の表裏、あるいは対称性を正確に見極めるために、各章の語り手である白痴・自殺寸前の大学生・現実的で物欲的な30歳の男(JasonはBenjyより１歳年上というのが定説です)をはじめとする、登場人物それぞれのおかれた状況や彼らの性格および価値観を絶えず第三者の視点から比較することが要求される。

　第１章、黒人の少年にお守りをされた３３歳の誕生日を迎えた白痴の男Benjyの世界は、誰かの夢の中を覗くように無防備な安らぎのみから生まれる独特のやさしさと脆さが混然としている。Mr.Compson の言葉を借りれば、“the air thin and eager like this, with something in it sad and nostalgic and familiar.”(p.123)と形容される、ある種混沌とした複雑さの中に、私たちが見失いがちな日常のあたたかさを備えた奥深い世界である。(a great quotation and insight!)

　しかしこの世界について何の予備知識も与えられていない読者にとって、作品冒頭からの混乱は必至であり、その混乱は多少を問わず衝撃に値するだろう。(Yes!)

Benjyの章を分析するために、読者の混乱を招くふたつの主な元凶をあげてみよう。 　まず、Benjyが白痴であるという人物設定そのものがあげられる。 　口をきくことさえできない白痴の彼には、物事の判断や観察、状況や心情の推察などはできない。彼ができるのはただ物事を見たり聞いたりし、行動することだけである。第１章のどのページを開いてもわかるような例をあげると、

“Here, caddie." He hit. They went away across the pasture. I held to the fence and watched them going away.
"Listen at you, now." Luster said. "Aint you something, thirty three years old, going on that way...Hush up that moaning..." (p.3)

“Wait a minute.” Luster said. “You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through here without snagging on that nail."
　Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see...
　Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or they'll get froze. You don't want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.
　"It's too cold out there." Versh said. "You don't want to go out doors."
　"What is it now." Mother said...
　"Did you come to meet Caddy," she said, rubbing my hands. "What is it. What are you trying to tell Caddy.” Caddy smelled like trees and like when she says we were asleep.
　What are you moaning about, Luster said...
　"What is it.” Caddy said. “What are you trying to tell Caddy. Did they send him out, Versh.”（pp. 4-7）

　I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. (p.76)

　It was propped against the collar box and I lay listening to it. Hearing it, that is. I dont suppose anybody ever deliberately listens to a watch or a clock. You dont have to. You can be oblivious to the sound for a long while, then in a second of ticking it can create in the mind unbroken the long diminishing parade of time you didn't hear. Like Father said down the long and lonely light-rays you might see Jesus walking, like. And the good Saint Francis that said Little Sister Death, that never had a sister. (p.76)

where all stable things had become shadowy paradoxical all I had done shadows all I had felt suffered taking visible form antic and perverse mocking without relevance inherent themselves with the denial of the significance they should have affirmed thinking I was I was not who was not was not who. (p.170)

　Then they talked about what they would do with twenty-five dollars. They all talked at once, their voices insistent and impatient, making of unreality a possibility, then a probability, then an incontrovertible fact, as people will when their desires become words. (p.117)

　He leaned on the rail, looking down at the acrimony, the conflict, was gone from their voices, as if to them too it was as though he had captured the fish and bought his horse and wagon, they too partaking of that adult trait of being convinced of anything by an assumption of silent superiority. (p.118)

Man the sum of his climatic experiences Father said. Man the sum of what have you. A problem in impure properties carried tediously to an unvarying nil: stalemate of dust and desire. (p.124)