April 6, 1928 (Jason)

Jason: The Ungentle Gentleman

Jason is a jerk.  To everyone.

In Jason's chapter, I am mostly just struck by how inhuman Jason really is.  Faulkner creates a loathsome character in Jason who is cruel enough to destroy Benjy's paper dolls even when Jason is still small.  He is supposedly his mother's salvation and dream come true becoming the new man of the house.  Yet, he does a terrible job at it.  His mother consistently apologizes for being a burden to him, while she complains of other's burdens.  However, even she sees rudeness in Jason as she tells Jason that "You say things like that to hurt me", when he was comparing his life to that of his brother's.  She also notices that he makes Quentin's life harder than it needs to be, as asks him to be more kind to her.  Jason just uses his work to make an excuse for not reaching out to Quentin.

Just like Jason's mother, Quentin sees much evil in in Jason and at one point of frustration simply asks why.  She is confused, as asks her Grandma, "Why does he treat me like this, Grandmother?... I never hurt him".  Jason is very passive aggressive and makes up a story that he lent his car to someone who was chasing his sister's husband who was out with another woman, when Jason himself was really following Quentin.  Quentin realizes that he knew what she had been doing but Jason lords it over her making that knowledge worse.  Quentin even blames him for making her the way she is.  She gives him the sole responsibility of her actions, screaming, "Whatever I do, it's your fault... If I'm bad, it's because I had to be.  You made me.  I wish I were dead".  Jason also denies Quentin needed money that Caddy sends her, only to use it but pretend he is suffering monetarily to create a show for his mother.  He even threatens to whip Quentin, as he does with the servants.  Due to this, Quentin may have really chosen the life she takes to escape from his inflictions.

Jason is similarly rude to the servants and those under him.  He offers Luster tickets to a show Luster longs for, only then to demand a price Luster cannot meet.  He then destroys the ticket in front of Luster's eyes.  He is violent towards Dilsey who is only kind and helpful, and he is lashes out against those who bring him bank reports that are only a few hour late, when the tardiness was caused by Jason's unknown whereabouts.  Jason additionally verbally abuses both minorities and women.  He has strong prejudice against Jews, and does not hide it though he claims to not hate Jews for their religion or as individuals.  Furthermore, he repeatedly states that "once a bitch, always a bitch", and he uses this statement in regard to more than one woman.

Jason feels no piety for a mother's sorrows either.  When Caddy simply asks to see her daughter, Jason needs to be bribed, and then raises those bribes.  He does very little to help her, and then does even less for her daughter, who was entrusted to him.

Why?
Overall, it cannot be questioned that Jason is barbaric.  The question I found myself asking is why does Faulkner make him so horrible, and yet the most easy to understand.  This may be because he is making a statement on the terror of holding on to what should pass.  Jason is the last head of a dying house.  Caddy is gone.  Quentin is died.  Benjy is ignored.  Jason (the elder) is died.  Uncle Maury drinks himself into oblivion.  And a mother hides from reality in a self-oriented world.

There is nothing but a fortune to loss, a sister to steal from, and an 'adopted' daughter- Quentin- to ignore.  There is nothing left and the family is doomed.  Jason could simply be that coming destruction, symbolizing a disastrous end that harms the future, freedom and past.  This is seen as he hurts and ignores Quentin and Caddy, who represent a youthful freedom and the future, in addition to abusing the past seen in Benjy and his own mother.  He is a mess of evil lies and actions, but under that, he is just a human.  He is clear because of this.  Thus, he section is both clear and painful.