Syntax

· “I was trying to say, and then I caught her, trying to say, and she screamed and I was trying to say and trying and the bright shapes began to stop and I tried to get out. I tried to get it off my face” (Faulkner 53).

· “Luster said. ‘You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through here without snagging on that nail.’ Caddy uncaught me and we crawld through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said” (Faulkner 4).

· “is Benjy still crying

I don’t know yes I don’t know

poor Benjy

I sat down on the bank the grass was damp a little then I found my shoes wet

get out of that water you crazy

but she didn’t move her face was a white blur framed out of the blur of the sand by her hair

get out now”

Faulkner appears to use a different type of diction in various ways. In the first passage he includes very confusing phrasing accompanied by the word “trying”. It appears that Benjy is unable to finish a thought without having to try to do something. These phrasings contribute to add to the confused tone of the passage and to bring the reader to understand Benjy’s perplexed frame of mind. The next passage shows the italics used quite frequently throughout Faulkner’s work. The use of these italics are there to indicate the change in time and flashbacks that stream through the character’s minds. In the final passage Faulkner utilizes an informal poetic-like syntax to relay Quentin’s changing thoughts. The syntax usage is very abstract to illustrate the way the thoughts appear to be in Quentin’s overwhelmed head.