Benjy Compson Timeline and Summary

•  Back
• More 

• Benjy waits for Caddy by the gate.
• He watches as Caddy muddies her drawers.
• On the same night, he watches as Caddy climbs up into a tree to watch Damuddy’s funeral. Caddy comes down from the tree smelling like trees.
• Benjy is told that his name is no longer Maury – it’s Benjy.
• He listens as Caddy and Dilsey discuss his name change.
• Benjy goes with Caddy to deliver a letter from Uncle Maury to Mrs. Patterson.
• Later, he tries to deliver a letter on his own. Mr. Patterson catches him.
• Mrs. Patterson gets angry at Benjy and sends him away in a rage.
• When Benjy returns home, Uncle Maury hits him.
• Caddy uses perfume, and Benjy notices that she doesn’t smell like trees anymore.
• He gets upset, pushing her and screaming.
• Realizing why Benjy’s upset, Caddy gives her perfume to Dilsey.
• Benjy finds Caddy in the swing with a boy.
• He starts to bellow; the boy makes fun of him. Caddy runs away with Benjy, angry that the boy was mocking Benjy.
• She promises Benjy that she’ll wash her mouth out with soap and never kiss boys again.
• Benjy has to sleep all by himself. He’s been told that he’s too old to sleep with Caddy.
• He starts bellowing; Caddy comes in and sleeps with him.
• Benjy drinks sassprilluh at Caddy’s wedding.
• The world starts to spin, which makes him really, really unhappy.
• Quentin comes in and finds him, then gets angry at T.P. for getting Benjy drunk.
• Caddy leaves.
• Benjy runs along the gate every day, waiting for Caddy to come home.
• One day, he finds the gate open just as a group of girls walks past.
• The girls come up to him, thinking the gate is closed.
• He reaches out to them, "trying to say."
• The girls freak out. Benjy is castrated as a result.
• Benjy sees Miss Quentin down at the swing with the man in the red tie.
• He thinks she might be Caddy.
• Quentin gets furious and lashes out at Dilsey for allowing Benjy out.
• Benjy and Luster search for Luster’s missing quarter by the golf course.
• Whenever Benjy hears the word "caddie," he begins to moan.
• Dilsey takes Benjy to church.
• At church, people talk about a white man being in a black church. Dilsey tells Frony to ignore them.
• Benjy and Mrs. Compson get ready to go to the graveyard to visit Quentin and Mr. Compson.
• Mrs. Compson decides not to go; Luster drives Benjy alone.
• Luster decides to have some fun: he whips the horse and starts trotting towards the town center.
• Once they get to the center of town, Luster takes the carriage the wrong way.
• See, Benjy’s used to the carriage moving clockwise around the square.
• Today, though, it goes counter-clockwise.
• Benjy freaks out.
• He stands up in the carriage and begins to bellow.
• Jason sees the carriage and comes running over. He’s furious at Luster.
• Jason turns the carriage around.
• As soon as it’s going the "right" way, Benjy calms down.
• He watches the shapes flowing in the same order that they always do.