Final Exam Autism – dis/lit 19

Amiti and Bekah’s Final Attack on Foss

It seems that there has always been this labeling of the autistic individual as unimaginative, lacking in the ability to fully feel, to comprehend emotions, to accurately understand and use language. These are stereotypes constantly reinforced by even literature today, but authors like Stuart Murray, Amanda Baggs and DJ Savarese aim to dismantle these running stereotypes and to show how the autistic individual is as creative and comprehensive of language and emotion as any other non-autistic individual. Therefore, in this essay we aim to showcase the main arguments that these authors have contributed to the autistic community, laying out these stereotypes in fine detail, at times explaining their feelings about stereotypes brought upon them and showcasing the creative work of other autistic individuals.

In his book Autism, Murray outlines the conception of autism presented in diagnostic literature, breaking down the ‘triad of impairments,’ or the “idea that the core of autistic behavior can be understood in terms of deficits of three central concepts—communication, imagination, and social interaction […] that originated in the late 1970s” (Murray 25). He relates it from the 1994 DSM-IV’s criteria of “delayed or abnormal functioning in at least one of” the aforementioned triad’s concepts to dominant thought on the condition in mainstream society (Murray 18, 25). This pervasive ideology plays into the binary of what is autistic and what is non-autistic; it insists that autistic individuals, by nature’s design, cannot be imaginative or creative. As Murray aptly points out, this presentation of autism is based more on metaphor and subjective speculation. Creativity quotients exist only in the realm of testing flexibility in response to a given stimuli (i.e. testing individuals in designed settings), and to conflate the fact that many autistics respond to change or process their reality in a given way with an inability to partake in more artistic expression implies that the thoughts and connections autistic individuals make is inherently uninventive or lacking in originality within itself. Autistic individuals such as Baggs have contested this view of autistic thought as cold or without attachment or creativity. In her article “Cultural Commentary: Up in the Clouds and Down in the Valley: My Richness and Yours,” she describes the ways in which mainstream society views the non-autistic process of thought as “[taking] place with a good deal of cognitive fanfare, so that they can hear or see themselves thinking,” and “[involving] abstract and arbitrary symbolism of some kind,” that can “reflect back on itself.” She then juxtaposes that with views of othered, autistic thought processes as “[taking] place so quietly they can barely notice it’s there—if at all,” and with “much more direct relationships, connections, and patterns formed between one thing and another.” She states that her own relationship with the world in front of her and the patterns she notices inform her about her own interests and what she cares about and suggests that autistic thought such as this is not regarded as thought at all. If views on autistic thought processes and creativity are linked as Murray suggests, then Baggs’ words work to show the ways in which the binary of autistic/non-autistic work to erase entire portions of autistic identity and reality.

In Baggs discussion of her own experiences with autism, she explains how those with autism have always been cast apart from mainstream society. They have been deferred in subtle and blatantly obvious ways. Baggs expresses the knowledge that few people actively intend on excluding those with a disability, but the way in which our society is constructed creates, what she quotes from Cal Montgomery’s 1987 essay about wheelchair access, “physical and social customs that seem almost designed to shut me out.” This comparison paints a picture for those who are not autistic to better see the social barriers that have been formed against those with autism. Using a wheelchair is an obvious disability, it is one the open eye can see clearly on the street. Our world was not built with those who use wheelchairs in mind. It was created by and for able-bodied individuals, only recently have newer buildings been required by ADA standards to have wheelchair access. This is of course, the step into the right direction, it being a standard to have accessible design in all buildings and to not discriminate against or exclude an individual from a building because they can not gain access to it on their own.

Baggs compares this to the autistic person’s relationship to language. She explains that, “like counters, stairs, and drinking fountains, language was built mostly by non-autistic people, with the obvious results, and my biggest frustration is this: the most important things about the way I perceive and interact with the world around me can only be expressed in terms that describe them as the absence of something important.” Here she directly points out this valuable discussion on how autistic individuals interact with conventional language and that their form of interaction with it is more often that not seen, by those who do not have autism, as an absence of something. In her experience she has been made to feel by those who try to define her, that her interaction with and strategy for learning conventional language is the absence of speech, of language, of thought, of movement, of comprehension, of feeling and of perception. Instead of her being seen as a creative and unique human being, she is othered, she is told she is missing something, she is not whole, not right, that she needs to be fixed in some way or another. Instead of acceptance most autistic people are faced with this push to be treated or cured. Baggs pushes back against this by saying, “I am telling you these things not to instruct you on the particulars of the mind of an autistic person, but rather to sketch out an image of how I perceive the world, and the richness and worthiness inherent in those ways of perceiving. It is anything but empty, and it is so much more than a simple lack of something that other people have.” As Baggs points out, there is so much richness that those with autism add to our world, whether that be love, expression, a portal of growth and knowledge about a different way of being, literature, art, there’s so much an individual can add to our society, whether they be abled or disabled.

DJ Savarese is the perfect example of an autistic writer who has created some beautiful pieces to add to our list of literary works in whole. His poem “Alaska,” analyzed and interpreted by his father Ralph James Savarese in “Prologue: River of Words, Raft of Our Conjoined Neurologist” from See It Feelingly, is a creative poem that uses an analogy for his relationship to his autism and having need for a facilitator. He writes, “the trees hurt their great places, they lose their treasures, their lying leaves tread. freed there branches they try to yearn freedom but they fear it. trying to get freed points out their great hurt yearning long.” Here he uses what Ralph James explains is a literary stable called pathetic fallacy, where he “stages the problem of separation as one confronting the natural world.” DJ compares his yearning for freedom, for independence, for a separation from reliance on his facilitator to the trees yearning for freedom, freeing little bits of themselves, like their branches. This poem not only demonstrates the creative use of language by an autistic writer, but it conveys the message that autistic individuals can feel and relate to their world and the people in it.

Conceptions of autism in relation to what it is not are common, given the deficit model of psychology; this representation carries out into other areas of society and presents a static, one dimensional lived experience. These stereotypes can prove harmful for the autistic community by erasing portions of their identity and therefore their place within the society we live. Through our examination of these stereotypes’ origins with Murray and their impact on autistic individuals’ relationship with themselves and society at large with Baggs, this paper brought us to analysis of work by autistic poet Savarese that exists in opposition of these beliefs. Our point is not that autistic individuals that meet the exact criteria do not exist, but rather that autism presents in a variety of different ways outside of the given binary and that the reinforcement of ideals that suggest otherwise needs to be challenged.

Sources

Baggs, Amanda. “Up in the Clouds and Down in the Valley: My Richness and Yours.” Disability Studies Quarterly, vol. 30, no. 1, 2009.

Savarese, DJ. “Alaska”

Savarese, Ralph James. See It Feelingly: Classic Novels, Autistic Readers, and the Schooling of a No-Good English Professor. Duke University Press, 2018.

Murray, Stuart. Autism. New York, 2011.

WC: 1467

We pledge.

Rebecca Young’s Final Paper

Rebecca Young
Dr. Foss
ENGL 384
May 2, 2019

Of Mice and Misrepresentation: Infantilization and the “Idiotic Autistic” in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

It is undoubtedly clear that literature in all forms acts as a vessel for societal beliefs and perceptions to be communicated through. Not only do the stories and characters in literature mimic those we see in real life, though, but the literary tales influence and reinforce societal beliefs as well. Thus, it is crucial to critically examine such works in order to gain an understanding of both the society reflected within that literature and the potential ways the literature can influence society on its own. This is especially true when considering works which discuss such critical topics as disability and its place in society. In the particular field of disability studies, the reinforcement of societal perceptions is key to any discussions of literary representation. We must, then, analyze such literature closely in order to best understand the roles of literary works in forming and perpetuating these perceptions. This can be done in many ways and for countless works of literature, but the case this essay will be examining is that of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, focusing on the representation of autism in Lennie’s character. By analyzing Of Mice and Men’s Lennie through the lens of autism, we can recognize and problematize the prolific stereotype of the burdensome “idiotic autistic,” especially in the context of infantilization.

Before critically analyzing the kinds of representation of autism seen within a text, one must first analyze whether or not autism is represented in the text at all. As autism is found across a broad spectrum, and is not always easy to diagnose, this can be a difficult process. Additionally, it can potentially become problematic to diagnose fictional characters with autism when it is not a diagnosis specifically given to them within the work. In doing so, one risks making decisions based on assumptions or stereotypes, which can then perpetuate negative beliefs of autism and disability in general. When done carefully, however, and with the understanding that one’s analysis can never be concrete, analyzing literary characters through lenses of autism can allow for an ultimately beneficial reading of the text. In the case of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, we see autism represented in the character of Lennie, one of the story’s two main protagonists.

Lennie’s character is clearly represented as disabled throughout the duration of the book; by reading him through a more specific, targeted lens, however, he can be seen as a distinctly autistic character. While the diagnosis of “autism” was not seen in the society in which Of Mice and Men was set, we can take contemporary knowledge of the autism spectrum and analyze Lennie in its context. In doing so, several of his specific character traits align with diagnoses of autism, such as his sensitivity to touch, challenges focusing on and following conversations, and difficulty acting in social situations. From this information, it is reasonable to analyze Lennie as a character with autism.

By reading Lennie as autistic, the entirety of Steinbeck’s book can be more effectively analyzed in the broader context of disability studies; this is specifically applicable to disability studies when considering the stereotype of the “idiotic autistic.” Throughout the book, Lennie is considered an “idiot” (among other terms) by essentially every other character he encounters. Because his communication and socialization skills are different from those of the “normal” characters within the book, he is perceived by others as simply incompetent. This perception of autistic individuals as “idiots” is an incredibly harmful stereotype when evaluated within the greater context of disability studies. Not only does it define the person by a single characteristic (their disability), but it further extrapolates assumptions about their existence based on this single trait. Thus, instead of viewing autistic individuals as whole people, they are diminished to something less human entirely, and automatically devalued as members of society.

In addition to being dehumanized as an alleged “idiot,” Lennie’s character is incredibly infantilized by those around him. For the same reasons that he is considered an “idiot” by other characters, he is treated like a dependent child. This further reinforces the belief that disabled individuals are burdens to those around them, another prominent stereotype of the disabled community. These are stereotypes which both reflect the society in which Steinbeck was writing and the society in which we currently live, as we can still see these beliefs in contemporary treatments of disabled individuals. In all of the aforementioned cases of stereotyping, individuals with disabilities are looked down upon as lesser, unintelligent, and wholly dependent beings. This is especially true for those with autism or intellectual disabilities and is understandably problematic, especially when considering the influence literature has over societal beliefs.

As stated previously, literature both mimics the society in which it was written and influences the society in which it is read. Thus, the treatment of a single character in Of Mice and Men has the power to affect the treatment of real individuals in the world around us. When characters like Lennie are viewed as pitiable and burdensome idiots, other individuals with autism are more likely to be seen this way as well, further reinforcing this detrimental cycle of stereotyping the disabled community. While it was “acceptable” to view disabled individuals in such a light during the 1930s, when this book was written, the story carries implications for our current and future societies as well. Without problematizing such harmful views like those seen in literature, there are no obstacles to these views being manifested and perpetuated throughout the rest of society. In a book so highly praised as “classic literature,” this is even more dangerous for the disabled and autistic communities.

The implications which literary representation has for the broader, contemporary disabled community are influential to say the least, and concerning when seen perpetuating problematic stereotypes like that of the infantile “idiotic autistic.” In examples of literature such as Of Mice and Men, this is even more detrimental to the disabled community, as this literature is considered noteworthy, valuable, and even progressive by many readers throughout the world. With this in mind, then, we must be willing to problematize such literary representations of autism. Otherwise, the disabled community will continue to suffer as a result of such societal understandings of individuals with disabilities, and our world as a whole will suffer until all individuals are accepted and valued as equal members of society.

Word Count: 1,059

I hereby declare upon my word of honor I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this assignment.

Bibliography

Chaloupka, Evan. “‘Intersubjectivity and Narrative Technique in Of Mice and Men and ‘Johnny Bear'”.” Journal of Narrative Theory, vol. 47, no. 3, 2017, pp. 403–26.

Hacking, Ian. “Autism Fiction: A Mirror of an Internet Decade?” University of Toronto Quarterly, vol. 79, no. 2, 2010, pp. 632–655.

Hall, Alice. Literature and Disability. 2016.

Loftis, Sonya Freeman. Imagining Autism: Fiction and Stereotypes on the Spectrum. 2015.

Marlowe, Mike, and George Maycock. “Using Literary Texts in Teacher Education to Promote Positive Attitudes Toward Children with Disabilities.” Teacher Education and Special Education, vol. 24, no. 2, 2001, pp. 75–83.

Miller, Donna L. “Literature Opens Doors for All Children.” Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, vol. 94, no. 4, 2012, pp. 28–33.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Modern Library, 1937.

Clark Baranoski’s Final

Clark Baranoski

ENGL 384

Dr. Foss

2 May 2019

Throughout the years, autism has usually been viewed as a negative thing, a disorder that should be fixed and one that wrecks the lives of caregivers and families. Especially with nonverbal or nonspeaking individuals, outsiders often view them as somehow lost or trapped in their own bodies, or they assume that, because the autistic individual is not speaking their thoughts, they do not have complex thoughts to begin with. Several of our readings have proven this wrong and should be read by everybody with that mindset. Two readings that particularly drive the message home that autism is not some sort of tragedy that should try to be cured are Jim Sinclair’s “Don’t Mourn for Us” and “Cultural Commentary: Communicate with Me” by DJ Savarese.

So often, the focus on autism discussions is how hard it is for parents and other outsiders to deal with autistic individuals. While there are challenges for parents, such as the fact it is most likely very frustrating and upsetting for a parent who may not be able to calm their autistic child down, or may not know what their child wants, whatever challenge there is for the parent is undoubtedly not as important as the child’s. For example, if a crowded place like the mall is overstimulating with bright lights, loud noises and too many people, the child may experience sensory overload to the point where the environment is actually painful to be in. A trip to the mall would certainly be stressful for the child who is overstimulated, but most people would probably sympathize with the parent for having to deal with the effects of the child’s sensory overload, such as screaming or trying to run out of the mall, rather than consider how much of a horrible experience it is for the child. To non-autistic people, the child’s reaction seems like an overreaction because they are not bombarded with sensory stimuli like the child is and do not see how a trip to the mall could be so overwhelming and distressing. Many people who may not know about autism might think the child is simply being a brat for screaming.

While aspects such as sensory difficulties may make some aspects of life hard, one should not grieve the autistic individual’s existence or their autism. As Sinclair eloquently puts it, “continuing focus on the child’s autism as a source of grief is damaging for both the parents and the child, and precludes the development of an accepting and authentic relationship between them” (Sinclair, n.p.). Autism is typically viewed as a huge game-changer, and while Sinclair admits that there is grief over learning one’s child will not be what who the parents thought their child would be, no parent in the world can predict their child, autism or not. Some parents mourn autistic children because they are not the non-autistic child they envisioned (Sinclair, n.p.). But very few parents get the child they envisioned or fantasized about. Even if their child is not autistic, they could still turn out quite different from the parent’s expectations, such as active, sport-loving parents having a child who would rather sit inside and play video games or bibliophile parents having a child who will not willingly read a book. This is the same scenario in that their child is not who they expected and they may wonder how they will connect with their child who seems so different from them, yet an autism diagnosis is viewed as a tragedy. Yet a book-loving parent could think they may not be able to connect with their autistic child, only to find out their autistic child also loves books and they could connect through reading.

DJ Savarese offers a look into his mind that shows that he is aware and eager to connect with others despite outward appearances. When he does not greet people directly, it may appear he is not interested in people. This is hardly the case. Savarese does not greet people directly because it would be far too overwhelming to do so (Savarese, n.p.). It may appear to outsiders that Savarese, and other individuals on the autism spectrum, is not interested in other people, but he quite clearly is. He wants to make friends and get to know people, but the way he does so is a little different. To an outsider, it may look like his facilitator is guiding the pencil or his hand when he types, which could lead people to the assumption that Savarese is not the one typing at all and that his facilitator is communicating for him (Savarese, n.p.). Savarese’s perspective made me think of the autistic children I volunteered with at a summer reading camp a few years ago. Most were nonspeaking and communicated, like Savarese, by spelling out words on letter boards or typing. It often seemed like they were not listening to the middle-grade books we were reading out loud, because they were flipping through other books or off in the corner looking at photo cards. Yet when we asked a question about the book we were reading, they more often than not answered correctly, which proved they were listening the whole time. This helps prove Savarese’s point that autistic people are aware of what is going on around them, even if other people might not think they are aware or paying attention. The children I volunteered with could answer questions about how the characters were feeling, putting themselves in the character’s shoes and disproving the whole theory that autistic individuals lack a theory of mind. DJ Savarese also talks about how he may not hear people at certain times which is why he does not respond, and he may take a while before he can show he notices somebody (Savarese, n.p.) This helps show that autistic individuals are not merely ignoring others as some people think. Surprisingly, Savarese also tells the reader to ignore his body, including signs for “done” and “break”, when it seems counterintuitive. This may be quite true in Savarese’s case, but it could lead to people ignoring other autistic people when they indicate they need a break. If someone ignores the sign for “break”, then when the child really needs a break, they may be ignored like the boy who cried wolf.

These articles show that autistic people experience life in a different, unexpected way, and while some aspects are more overwhelming for some autistic individuals, their lives are just as fulfilling and complete as their typical friends and family.

Word Count: 1084

I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this work.

Clark Baranoski

Works Cited

Savarese, DJ. “Communicate with Me.” Disability Studies Quarterly, 2010, www.dsq-sds.org/article/view/1051/1237.

Sinclair, Jim. “Don’t Mourn For Us.” Our Voice, vol. 1, 1993.

Unconditional Support No Matter the Diagnosis

Kaitlyn O’Gorman

ENGL 384

Dr. Foss

30 April 2019

“The tragedy is not that we’re here, but that your world has no place for us to be. How can it be otherwise, as long as our own parents are still grieving over having brought us into the world” (Jim Sinclair, Our Voices)? The role parents take on when they choose to bring a child into the world is to love unconditionally, protect, and support that child no matter what, including an autism diagnosis. While there are many parents that do accept and embrace their child’s diagnosis; many other parents treat their child’s autism diagnosis the same way one might treat a stage four cancer diagnosis. However, an autism diagnosis does not equal the end of a child’s life and autism is not masking a child’s true personality, this is their personality. In order to make an educated analysis of the parents of autistic children it is important to read not only from the parental side but also from the first-hand experiences of an autistic self-advocate; Julia Miele Rodas a disability studies scholar and Melanie Yergeau an autistic adult; give this insight. Both Rodas and Yergeau share situations in which parents of autistic children have failed to be what their child needed, instead of being their child’s unwavering support system, out of fear and shame parents forget that their autistic child is a person and begin publicly sharing their child’s personal struggles as a way to make themselves feel better.

While the cause of autism is still greatly unknown there are several hundred theories, the ones that stick the most are the theories that place the child’s parent at fault. Parent’s are often given the blame for their child’s diagnosis which not only results in undue shame but it also plays a big part in how a parent will react to and treat an autism diagnosis. Rodas writes in the “Introduction” of Autistic Disturbances, about one particular parental response that has unfortunately received a lot of attention. Celebrity Jenny McCarthy wrote an autism parent-memoir titled Louder Than Words, in which she describes her heart shattering upon learning her child’s diagnosis and states how “everything I had thought was cute was a sign of autism”, (McCarthy, 66). McCarthy could have accomplished so many things with her influential power but she chose to write her book, Louder Than Words, in such a negative tone that it only adds on to the problem. The problem is not that some children are born with autism it is the response mothers and fathers have towards their child’s diagnosis.

McCarthy used her book to identify autism as a “plate of shit” (McCarthy, 65), when she could have created much needed awareness for other parents like her. She could have maintained her adoration of all the cute things her son did and told the world how much of a blessing it is to watch her son grow and learn. Instead she made a mockery of autism and created a fear mongering memoir for everyone to read. Rodas mentions that “at the same time the doctor locates hs patient… the mother loses her child” (Rodas, 16), however this does not have to be the case. It is up to the parent to choose whether or not they will condemn themselves and outcast their child or embrace the diagnosis and continue to love all the cute things their child does.

Now to hear from Yergeau, an autistic self-advocate as she recounts the “shitty narratives”(Yergeau, 3) her mother would recite in her introduction of Involution. Yergeau was born autistic but did not receive her diagnosis until she reached adulthood. Although her parents were never aware that their child was growing up with autism, Yergeau feels as though they must have known that “there was something about her” (Yergeau, 1). Yergeau notes that what is typically authored by non-autistic people tends to cast a less than hopeful light on those with autism, “media accounts of autistic people communicate the sensationalism of savant-beings who are at once so extraordinary yet so epistemically distant and critically impaired” (Yergeau, 3). The previous statement only accounts for what the media says about autism however, this can also pertain to what parents of autistic children say as well. In Chloe Silverman’s Understanding Autism, one parent mentions “if you hang around [autism] parents enough, all we talk about is poop” (Silverman). Yergeau recounts that her mother’s favorite stories to tell about her growing up also had to do with young Yergeau smearing feces everywhere. Another thing to consider when thinking about shared narratives such as “poop talk” the parent is really only talking about themselves, “parental poop talk is perhaps the most effectively loaded of all poop talk… it relates smearing, eating, and rectal digging in graphically humanizing terms… The humanization in autism poop talk, of course, is rarely about the human whose poop has been thrust into the spotlight” (Yergeau, 3). While it may be true that by sharing these narratives with other parents of autistic children it gives parents a comforting sense of normality within the community, these narratives are not given with the proper consideration as to how this exposed information might affect the child.

There is so much mystery and countering arguments surrounding autism that it is understandable to be taken aback upon learning the child’s diagnosis. After this brief moment of shock it is now the parent’s duty to obtain as much knowledge they can so that they can overcome, adapt, and provide the best life for their child. There are several ways parents can go about this research; first, they should always ask their child’s doctor for any and all information or advice they can provide. Secondly, there is a growing community of parents who also have children with autism that are more than happy to share what they have learned with other members of the community. When all else fails the internet is a wealth of knowledge filled with research articles as well as self-advocating articles written by autistic adults. However, it is important to remember that while we know more about autism than we did ten years ago, it is still largely a mystery and not all the information put out on the internet is entirely true. Most importantly parents can not ignore the diagnosis out of fear or embarrassment. By receiving their child’s diagnosis parents are being given an answer and the opportunity to truly get to know their child. The parents are now able to learn how to properly and productively work with their child to increase their overall success in life.

The parental role no matter what the situation or diagnosis, is to protect their child. This means maintaining a level of strength and privacy for the child so that the he or she does not have to grow up battling stigmatization from their own mother and father. This means supporting and encouraging the child to continue working for improvements. Rather than feeling ashamed or sorry for themselves parents of autistic children should be working together to reach new milestones. These parents should be creating blogs and writing memoirs to inform the general public about the real truths of autism. The media and medical offices have and will continue publishing the negative stories about autism; parents have the opportunity to share the joy their child creates and accomplishments they make.

I Pledge…. Kaitlyn O’Gorman

Word count: 1,225

Work Cited

McCarthy, Jenny. Louder Than Words , 2007.

Rodas, Julia Miele. “Autistic Disturbances: Theorizing Autism Poetics from the DSM to Robinson Crusoe.” Autistic Disturbances: Theorizing Autism Poetics from the DSM to Robinson Crusoe, University of Michigan Press, 2018, pp. 1–30.

Sinclair, Jim. “DON’T MOURN FOR US.” Don’t Mourn For Us, 2002, www.autreat.com/dont_mourn.html.

Yergeau, Natalie. “Introduction: Involution.” Authoring Autism: On Rhetoric and Neurological Queerness. Durham: Duke University Press, 2017. Accessed 30 April 2019

Alex Slaughter’s Final Paper

Alexandra Slaughter

Dr. Foss

English 384: Disability and Literature

April 30^th, 2019

Disability and Literature Final Paper

Autism is not always portrayed in the best way. Autism is a topic that many people are uneducated in. Due to the current economic status of our country, we, as a society, have begun to capitalize everything, which led to people being raised to seek out a profit in everything. On account of this, society has made arguments that it is a waste of money and space to treat disabilities. After learning more about autism, many literary texts and their characters can be better analyzed and understood through the lens of autism.

Disability plays a large part in the infamous novel, The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner. The Sound and the Fury is one of the many literary texts that can be better understood when reading it through the lens of autism. As the reader progresses through the novel, it immediately becomes apparent that Benjy Compson is different from the rest of the characters in the book. Within the first couple of pages, the reader is able to tell that the speaker of the section is different, which we later learn is Benjy, who has a disability. After having a selected focus of reading and learning about autism, Benjy Compson can now be read as being on the autism spectrum. Throughout the novel, there is a variety of reactions to Benjy and interactions with him that separate and divide the several family members and characters within the book.

In the first section of the novel, the narrative is presented by Benjy Compson, one of the characters discussed the most out of the entire Compson family. Throughout his narrative, you can distinguish fairly easily which family members treat Benjy the best and which ones want to profit off of him. Caddy is the one family member that goes out of her way to comfort and care for Benjy. Early on in the narrative, we learn that Caddy is one of the few people that can calm Benjy down. “Caddy put her arms around me, and her shining veil, and I couldn’t smell trees anymore and I began to cry.” (Faulkner 40) When Caddy goes to hug Benjy and he resists, it causes slight confusion for the reader. However, upon further reading, it is revealed why the one person that could calm him down actually upset him, even if it was unintentional. “She put the bottle down and came and put her arms around me. ‘So that was it. And you were trying to tell Caddy and you couldn’t tell her.…’” (Faulkner 42) After Caddy takes a bath and completely changes, we learn that it was the perfume that Caddy was wearing that bothered Benjy. Benjy is used to Caddy smelling like trees, so when she tries to touch him and he can not associate her with the smell he considers safe, he freaks out. When Caddy finally figures out what was wrong, she understands that he could not have told her what was wrong and tries to make him comfortable again. Near the beginning of his narrative, an instance in which Caddy went out of her way to make Benjy more comfortable is illustrated. “‘Hush, Benjy.’ Caddy said. ‘Go away, Charlie. He doesn’t like you.’ Charlie went away and I hushed.” (Faulkner 47) In this instance, we see Caddy attempting to get rid of one of the triggers upsetting Benjy in order to calm him down and understand what is wrong and what he needs. For some people with autism, by getting rid of whatever is triggering them to act a certain way, it can be helpful in calming them down. Caddy is sacrificing her relationship and possibly her safety to make Benjy calm down.

Jason Compson IV is one of the more mean and negative family members of the family. Jason IV does not care much for his brother and sees him as a burden. He continually makes comments about how Benjy is a waste of space and how he is going to send him to an institution as soon as he can. “Why not send him down to Jackson. He’ll be happier there, with people like him.” (Faulkner 221) At this point, Jason IV is speaking to Mrs. Caroline Compson, his mother, about Benjy and how they should send him to Jackson, where it is implied that there is a mental hospital. When you first read this line, Jason IV seems like he is simply looking out for the family, as if he wants what is best for everyone. However, we soon learn that this is not how he feels at all. “But it don’t take much pride to not like to see a thirty year old man playing around the yard with a n*gger boy, running up and down the fence and lowing like a cow whenever they play golf over there.” (Faulkner 222) Jason IV immediately begins to reveal how he feels about Benjy and the way he acts, which he views as childish. As he states, Benjy is a thirty year old man, who Jason IV views as acting like a child. Jason IV also believes that Benjy should be acting more his age and not outside playing with one of the boys of the help.

Subsequently, Jason IV reveals what he truly feels with regard to Benjy being sent away to Jackson. “I says if they’d sent him to Jackson at first we’d all be better off today.” (Faulkner 222) When analyzing this statement, “they’d” could be a few different people. Since Jason IV is talking to Mrs. Compson here, he could be referring to the hospital or the doctor who delivered the baby. He might be blaming the hospital for sending a baby with autism home with them. On the other hand, Jason IV is not one to shy away from how he truly feels, nor does he hold back when expressing his emotions. With this outlook, Jason IV could also be using “they’d” in reference to his parents. If this is the case, then Jason IV blames his parents for all of the issues they have had to deal with since Benjy has been a part of the family. He sees it as being their fault for not immediately sending Benjy to the nearest mental hospital in Jackson as soon as they realized that Benjy was different from everyone else in the family.

Additionally, we see Jason IV attempt to fix his mistake of the way he addressed the situation regarding Benjy and what should occur. “I says, you’ve done your duty by him; you’ve done all anybody expects of you and more than most folks would do, so why not send him there and get that much benefit out of the taxes we pay.” (Faulkner 222) He previously said that they would essentially have been better off if they had sent Benjy to a mental hospital earlier in his life and gotten rid of him altogether. At this moment in time, Jason IV is trying to redeem himself slightly in his mother’s eyes by complimenting her. He says that she has done all she could have and more than anybody would have thought she would. He attempts to make it seem like it would not just be beneficial to Benjy, but it would be beneficial to the family, because they have already paid for it by paying taxes.

The Sound and the Fury is novel that can be read on its own, and you will be able to understand it if you read carefully. However, when read again or looked back on after learning more about autism and autism studies, a whole new perspective is created when reading the character Benjy Compson. When first read, the reader can figure out that Benjy has a disability. Although when looked at again through the lens of autism studies, the reader is more so able to see the signs that Benjy might be autistic and can better understand the book with this knowledge. Autism studies is very beneficial when reading classical literature and better understanding some characters.

Word Count: 1344 I pledge. Alexandra Slaughter

Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. Vintage International Books, 1990.