The Missing Link?

Jason taps into the deepest fears of his family members in order to gain control as well as money. Some argue that Jason’s lack of attention as a child is his reason for extorting money. Perhaps his insecurities and desire for attention and love have driven him to the point of swindling his only sister. Jason believes that one should never “promise a woman anything not let her know what I’m going to give her.” “That’s the only way to manage them…If you can’t think of any other way to surprise them, give them a bust in the jaw,” he said. His overruling desire to control—through money, verbal and physical abuse—cracks the fragile bond that holds the family together. While some may defend Jason, I have no sympathy for him.

Jason is hypocritical. He abuses the young Miss Quentin and accuses her of promiscuity, while he gave a woman forty dollars for her “services.” His constant pressuring of Miss Quentin upset her and eventually led to her running away. I was amazed at how similar Miss Quentin and Caddy are. Even though Quentin has grown up in a home where her mother’s name is never spoken, she inherited many of the feisty characterizes of her mother. Her passion for love, her unwillingness to surrender, and her defy-all attitude are reminiscent of Caddy. One wonders how she became so like her mother? Drawing on my evolutionary knowledge, I’m going to say that it was not just nature, but also nurture. The household and customs of the prestigious Southern family did not allow Caddy to follow her heart. Consequently, her daughter Quentin was raised in the same household. Unfortunately, she was brought up in worse circumstances than Caddy was. The two passionate souls were not welcome into a family of strict tradition and moral uptightness. Well, so much for that lesson on “focus.” Sorry, Raccoon, hopefully the rant was interesting.

Ahem, back to the topic. One of Jason’s worst moments was the way he treated Caddy. When Caddy, a mother who has not seen her daughter grow up, begs Jason to show Quentin to her, he does. However, even though Caddy pays him a hundred dollars, Jason gives Caddy a transient glimpse of her lost daughter. The connection between a mother and child is strong yet easily damaged. Caddy’s tie to Quentin has already been severed, along with her connection to the Bascomb/Comson family. By filling Caddy with false hope and failing to deliver her wish, Jason manipulates Caddy to a point of frustration. This event really touched me. I was surprised as the bitter attitude of Jason to his own “flesh and blood.” For some reason, either his nature or his nurture or both, Jason has become a heartless, money-obsessed man.

Jason’s womanizing, racist, controlling mania is sickening. Although he is the last remaining sibling, in my eyes, he is no longer part of the family. The usual bond of kinship to one’s relatives is not seen in Jason. If one does not love their family, than they are not part of it. So while he may be the last sibling standing, the family is far too fragmented and disjointed to ever be repaired. The missing family members, the banished sibling, the delusional mother, and the power-hungry brother leave no hope for what was a family. (557)