Mr. Jason Compson

Character Analysis

The father of the white family in this story seems a pretty solid, steadfast guy. He's got an even-keeled personality and pretty much does the same pro-Nancy things throughout the story: walk her home (see the end of the first section), advise her to go to Aunt Rachel's (check out 5.14, for example), and ask her what evidence she has of Jesus' presence (try out 5.6).

But you have to wonder if he does enough for her. After all, Nancy is totally terrified, and she might not be wrong about Jesus' being around, either. Mr. Jason has warned Jesus to stay off his property himself (1.22), but dismisses Nancy's concerns as "nonsense" about a million times. Has he fulfilled his obligations to Nancy, or has he left her in the lurch? Critics still debate that one.

Mr. Jason doesn't exactly have a smooth life himself. He and his wife bicker back and forth, and his kids, Caddy and his namesake anyway, are constantly bickering with each other as well. He's in charge of the family, more or less, but doesn't seem to get much enjoyment out of anything himself. He even makes some hurtful comments. Referring to Jesus and his kids, he says, "What would he do with them, if he were unfortunate enough to have them?" (1.53). This dude is not a happy paterfamilias.

That's the father figure in a nutshell. You might notice that Quentin simply calls him father, and Dilsey and Nancy call him Mr. Jason. If you're wondering, his (and his whole family's) last name is Compson, which isn't mentioned in the story but is mentioned in Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. Yup—if you want to see more of the Compson fam, The Sound And The Fury has you covered.