Jason tries and tries to maintain order in the closing scene of the novel. But his methods only promote disorder. He comes into this scene hot after being robbed and humiliated by his niece. Jason’s rage caused by Quentin’s theft and the apathy of the police finds an outlet when he feels that Benjy and Luster are somehow injuring the Compson name in the public square. He sees Luster and Benjy causing a commotion in the town square and promptly berates them. He yells at them and strikes both of them in the face and head. The only one who responds positively to this violence is the horse, but Benjy continues to bellow and there is no indication from Luster that he won’t act impetuously in the future.
Benjy is one of maybe two or three characters who can sense order. He bellows when the status quo of his world is disturbed. In the closing lines, readers learn that Benjy needs to experience a carriage ride in a certain way or he will scream. Dilsey knows this, Queenie knows this (and would have marched along if Luster didn’t hit her with the switch), Jason knows this. Luster must know this, too. This “man, aged 14…was not only capable of the complete care and security” of Benjy, “but could keep him entertained” (343). This note from the appendix tells us that when Luster seemingly acts impetuously and/or provokes Benjy, he actually has a deeper understanding of the man entrusted to his care than the readers. Faulkner transcribes an array of sounds and the emotions they connote as mere groans, bellows, and hush-Benjys. The maturity and role of entertainer he grants Luster begs readers to reconsider moments in the text where it seemed like Luster was teasing and provoking Benjy. If that’s the case, then we can trust Luster to have fun with Benjy and calm him down. The momentary excitement was caused by Benjy experiencing the ride around the square backwards, but it’s probably safe to assume the ride home wouldn’t vary that much and would give him time to calm down.
Jason’s rage and demands for order are ineffectual and result in disorder. Luster often appears to fly by the seat of his pants, but has more control of a given situation than Jason. It would be an understatement to say that Faulkner strikes a balance with these two characters because though they seem to foil each other, we know that Luster will prevail. His offbeat disorder has a future and his name will go on. Jason literally has no future, no progeny.
