In this next chapter, we are introduced to a very strong woman captivated in the body of a frail servant. In the midst of a crumbling family, it is Dilsy the only who manages to stay in one piece. She is the wife of another servant, Roskus, whom we briefly met in a previous chapter. They are the grandparents of Luster, a man we know very well. He is Benjy's caretaker and is really, besides Caddy, the only one who really cares for him.
In the old south it was very common to have servants who raised the kids, rather than the actual mothers. Nowadays many children have nannies, but because their mothers are working women, attempting to bring home some bread. But in the south, there was really no need to hire a servant to take care of you children, but for some strange reason, the "southern belles" of the time felt like it was not their duties as mothers to care for their young ones. Ironic, I know. This being said, it is safe to say that Dilsy has basically raised each and every Compson child.
Dilsy and Roskus' family are the Gibsons. Faulker has created a very strong contrast between the two groups of people. The Compsons don't seem to enjoy each others presence. The matriarchal head, Caroline, though her name means strong, is actually very weak and honestly does not win best mother award. Jason hates everyone in his family who makes him seem "unfitting" in the eyes of society, Quentin was so depressed he committed suicide, and good ol' Caddy is off having an illegitimate baby.. Quit dysfunctional I'd say. The Gibsons, on the other hand, actually seem to enjoy each other and treat each other as a family. They are loving and caring, even to people who are actually quite difficult to tolerate. Granted, they have Dilsy, a much better mother and grandmother. Perhaps this family contrast parallels to the old south and new south, another huge contrast. Faulker uses juxtapositions to embody both sides of the spectrum, and it allows his reader to better understand the good and bad found within a situation.
Its only fitting that Faulkner uses Dilsy's chapter to end his novel. As the Compson family crumbles chapter by chapter, the only one who is able to stay whole and "make it out alive" (metaphorically and literally, R.I.P. Quentin..), is Dilsy.
I liked how you opened this post with explaining who Dilsey is and how she is connected to the Compson family, that definitely helped shed some light on how important she is in this novel. Your analysis of Dilsey, and how she is the only one left standing after the Compson family crumbles was great.
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