Jason and the "Argo-Not Nice's"

As I read The Sound and the Fury, many of the characters I encounter, I feel a degree of sympathy towards. This is far from the case when it comes to Jason. Jason is a bitter, cruel, racist and sexist, who unfortunately is the new head of the Compson family. The very first line of Jason's chapter sets the tone for the rest of his chapter, " Once a bitch always a bitch, what I say." It shows Jason's disregard for women and also reveals something else, his refusal to acknowledge change. Jason himself is a character that doesn't change through time. Even as a child, Jason was tormenting Benjy, who he is extremely embraced of, and he is tattle tailing on Caddy when she gets her clothes wet. Now an adult, Jason is just as cruel, maybe crueler, to those around him. Jason from childhood to present doesn't evolve or change attitudes towards anything or anyone. Jason is also a very bitter and resentful person; he especially harbors animosity towards Caddy because he feels it's her fault he didn't get the job at the bank. He also resents Caddy for ruining the family name, which he thinks is her fault alone. Jason, unlike some of the previous characters, cares highly about himself and what others think about him. This is reflected when he says, "I got a reputation in this town, and I'm not going to have any member of my family going on like a nigger wench." Jason is angrily addressing Quentin here, and just like Quentin's mother, Jason is angered at her promiscuity. Quentin is not only a sexist but a racist too. His comment on Jews reveals this racism, "I have nothing against Jews as an individual...It's just the race." In this racist insult, Jason analyzes it in economic terms, he doesn't like them because he thinks they don't produce anything. This concern with money explains something else, Jason's fixation on the present and using the present as a way to help himself in the future. Perhaps the most disturbing thing Jason does to reveal this attitude, is his willingness to steal from his own family. He takes checks from Caddy meant for Miss Quentin, for himself, and Miss Compson, blinded by her love for Jason, lets this robbery continue. Overall, through Jason's many schemes, actions, and comments, it is clear he is quite a horrible person. His complete disregard for those around him, and the lows he is willing to go to for personal gain, illustrate a cruel and mean-spirited man. While Jason may have been the easiest to read and understand, his chapter was very unpleasant and uncomfortable to read.