How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
A quarter hour yet. And then I'll not be. The peacefullest words. Peacefullest words. Non fui. Sum. Fui. Non sum. Somewhere I heard bells once. Mississippi or Massachusetts. I was. I am not. Massachusetts or Mississippi. (2.1005)
This is Quentin breaking down. In case you were wondering, the strange words are Latin. Your friendly Shmoop translation service suggests that they mean "I was not. I am. I was. I am not." Depressing, huh? Quentin’s pretty much talking himself into suicide at this point.
Quote #8
[…] and he was the saddest word of all there is nothing else in the world its not despair until time its not even time until it was (2.1008)
Quentin remembers his father’s musing that "was" is one of the saddest words of all. Why "was?" Well, we bet that it’s got something to do with the fact that the past is, for Mr. Compson, over and done with. You only actually feel things once you start remembering them. It’s a strange sort of temporality – one that lives looking backwards.
Quote #9
All right, den," Luster said. "You want somethin to beller about?" He looked over his shoulder, toward the house. Then he whispered: "Caddy! Beller now. "Caddy! "Caddy! "Caddy! (4.441)
The very mention of Caddy’s name sends Benjy into a howling frenzy. Luster knows that this is the one sure-fire way to get a reaction out of Benjy – and we see that this is the one communicative link that others try to make with Benjy. In other words, they’re completely happy to let Benjy live mostly in the past.