jstor article: "A Rhetoric for Benjy"

Benjy’s section of the novel is different. It is not only different from the rest of the novel but also different from anything else I have ever read. What makes the section so intriguing and thought-provoking is Benjy’s cognitive handicap. His descriptions and observations are presented in a manner that requires deep thought for true comprehension. His limited grammar and vocabulary, along with his inability to grasp cause-and-effect relationships, make the reader have to figure out what is happening. Benjy gives the basic details and framework, while the reader must figure out the context and situation. The narration requires an involved reading process.

In his essay “A Rhetoric for Benjy,” L. Moffitt Cecil looks at Faulkner’s writing process for Benjy’s narration. Cecil explains how writing in the first person narrative is difficult for any author, but writing in the first person for a character like Benjy would be a formidable task. By comparing it to Mark Twain’s job of speaking through Huck Finn, Cecil shows how writing for a mute idiot would be immensely more difficult. Huck is intelligent, trustful, [and] charmingly loquacious.” On the other hand, Benjy’s scattered thoughts and dumbness—inability to speak—severly limit what Faulkner can do with Benjy’s language, but not Benjy’s section. The fact that Faulkner overcomes the obstacles created by having Benjy as a narrator while still creating and developing a plot is impressive.

Language poses a problem for Faulkner in producing Benjy’s section. Beyond Benjy’s limited vocabulary, his sentence structure is restricted. Cecil explores the different sentence structures that Faulkner “allows” Benjy to use. Many sentences are restricted to solely the noun-verb-modifier format. This and other language barriers pose a problem in giving the reader necessary information. To overcome this obstacle, Faulkner often employs Benjy’s remarkable observational skills. Even though he usually does not comprehend their meanings, Benjy is able to reliably relay quotations to the reader. The lack of punctuation around these quotes serves as a reminder of Benjy’s handicap. Cecil also points out that reader is constantly aware of Benjy’s handicap throughout the section, not just because of quotes. Due to blatant grammatical errors and general confusion, Faulkner ensures that the reader is always in Benjy’s mind. Faulkner’s extraordinary use of Benjy as a narrator draws the reader’s attention due to the necessary involvedness for comprehension.

Benjy’s innocence about cause-and-effect relationships even creates many comical moments throughout the section. For instance when Benjy burns his hand it “keeps going towards [his] mouth,” almost as if it had a mind of its own. My personal favorite part of the section occurs when Benjy is drunk. His mental handicap combines with his intoxication to produce some truly hilarious explanations. In the barn he attempts to support himself on a box when all of the sudden the box “jumped away and hit [him] in the face.” The reader understands that Benjy misplaced his hand and fell onto the box, but Benjy’s explanation is quite amusing.

Faulkner took on a mighty challenge by using Benjy as a narrator. And he succeeded. Benjy’s unique narration is what makes the section so special.