Playing Games or Just Plain Wasting Time?
Jason is constantly playing games with the other characters in the story. He steals money from Caddy and only allows her to see Miss Quentin for a few brief seconds, he burns tickets to the show in front of Luster, and he consistently lies to Earl about why he was out of the store for so long. It is believed that self-loathing individuals do this to boost their own confidence. However, if Jason is so focused on his future gain, why do you believe he still feels fulfilled when wasting time to torment others? Do you believe his true focus is on his future or on revenging the ‘wrongs’ from his past? Does Jason have the power to gain respect and status or are all of his actions purposely self-destructive?
5 comments:
I think jason could legitimize himself as a person if he actually took the responsibility of manning a household in a correct manner. He takes no interest the true workings/runnings of the household. It may be possible that Jason feels that by tormenting the various people he is some how controling/dominating them in some sick way.......
Jason feels fuffilled when wasting time tormenting others because it puts him at a position of power, something that he lost along with his opportunity at the bank for a future. I believe he thinks his focus is on his future, but I think he thinks to have future gains he mus avenge the wrongs of the past. I don't think his actions allow him to gain respect or status, and I guess therefore are self-destructive, but his games do give him power over his "victims".
I don't think Jason could fully devote himself to one pursuit because he's lazy and lacks motivation. His desire is money, but money isn't easy to come by. In the meantime he tortures whoever he can, so long as it doesn't cost him anything personally. He burns the tickets because he didn't pay for them, they were given to him (and by someone he didn't feel particularly fond of). Plus he didn't even want to go. Jason just has a sadistic nature; he takes pleaure in tormenting everyone. It could be that he does it to ease his own failures or maybe that he just simply hates everyone. Either way, money can be used to torture people with, particularly when it isn't his.
Wow. I think that Jason means to be malicious sometimes. He torments people in such a way that feeling any sympathy for Jason is extremely difficult. Burning tickets in front of Luster was particulary cruel. Luster does not have a lot and he desperately wanted to go. In addiction to verbally abusing Luster constantly, he was extremely harsh to him in this situation. I don't see him gaining respect after spending his entire life trying to put down everyone around him. He is particulary harsh on Miss Quentin. Though she misbehaves frequently, it seems she is just rebelling against all Jason as subjected her to this far. She has to grow up without her mother, in a place where everyone but maid/cook is less than thrilled to have her there. He doesn't give anyone in the family a fair chance for happiness, including himself.
I believe part of the reason why Jason plays these games with his family is because he is partially bitter of the family he has. His father dies an alcoholic, his mother is constantly breaking down in tears, one of his brothers has committed suicide, and the other brother is mentally challenged. Then there is Jason's sister, Caddy, who has left her child with the family for them to take care of. Specifically with Caddy's daughter, Quentin, Jason may believe that Quentin symbolizes the corruption in his family and this could be the motivation to why he is so bent on chasing her down and tormenting her in his section.
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