Generally, when someone thinks the following thought: “Once a bitch always a bitch…” we can assume the character is not a very likable one. Indeed, Jason Compson does have his fair share of problems. He is sexist, racist, and terribly mean to Benjy—his only sibling left surviving and pretty much everyone around him. Yet despite his flaws, I believe we need to take a minute to look at some of the reasons for his behavior and some of his finer aspects.
From a very young age we can see some of the meanness in Jason’s spirit such as when he destroys the dolls that Caddy and Benjy were playing with. Yet, by examining Jason’s childhood from the limited information we are given, it seems as if he really did not receive much attention from anyone. Quentin and Caddy were a few years older than him and they had already established their own special bond. Benjy received attention from everyone especially Caddy, but that is in large part due to his condition. Father grew progressively worse due to his drinking problem, and his mother was too selfish to think about anyone other than herself. Seeing as how his mother is his favorite character, it is not surprising he follows along her path. Another example of the lack of attention given to Jason is the fact that the family sold Benjy’s pasture of land in order to pay for Quentin’s college but never seemed to do anything significant for Jason. Jason also has to deal with the heartbreak of being promised a job that gets taken away from him due to his sister’s actions. The heartbreak from that moment is enough to make any young person bitter.
Taking everything into account, Jason still provides for the rest of his family. He has grudgingly taken in Quentin (though not without some personal gain himself), and he has been there for mother the most out of anyone in the family. Sure the family may be a bit dysfunctional, but Jason was the only one willing to endure the pain which may be part of what caused him to become hard. Quentin became overly concerned about what others would think of his family without stopping to think of what impact his death would have on the rest of the family. Caddy managed to act out by becoming promiscuous, without managing to think about the effect it would have on her and the rest of the family. Caddy’s situation has become so bad that she cannot even keep Quentin with her. Father eventually drank himself to an early death, forcing Jason to take charge of the house. If it weren’t for him, it is quite possible that his mother and Benjy would not have any place to live. Also, while Jason acts cynically towards mother, it is important to note that he listens to her for the most part, and he must have done something right to earn her love and respect.
Is Quentin a good character? Even I would have a hard time saying yes to that question. Yet it is important to note that he has been burdened with the expectations of providing for the family for a good portion of his career, while not receiving some of the same benefits as his other siblings. In the end, he is there fore his family, which is something that can not be said for any other Compson.
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Navdeep--blogs on Jason have fallen into two camps, at roughly a 60-40 ratio. Either people have fun venting their outrage over what a sleazeball he is (that's the 60%) or, like yourself, they get interested in seeing if a case can be made to allow a more sympathetic view of the character. Me, I'm in the 60%, but I do appreciate the thought and effort the 40% are putting in to look at a cruel and hateful character trying to understand what made him the way he is.
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