The Sound and The Fury: Book 2

Quote 1

"It was Grandfather's and when Father gave it to me he said I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire; it's rather excruciating-ly apt that you will use it to gain the reducto absurdum of all human experience which can fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76).

Quentin destroys his watch because it is really no use to him. The watch signifies the actual time. Each second passing by is the past. However, if you do not know the time or cannot see the seconds ticking by on the watch, you do not really know how much time has passed or whether it is the present or the past. Quentin does not like knowing the time because it reminds him of how much time has past. He specifically  asks the man at the clock store not to tell him the time.  The actual time is different from individual time. Time is perceived differently for different people. Time seems to pass by really quickly when you're distracted or occupied. But when you have nothing to do, time seems to drag on. Mr. Compson gives this watch to Quentin but he tells Quentin that it can "fit your individual needs no better than it fitted his or his father's" (76). Therefore, this watch is of nothing use because it does not measure an individual's perception of time. 

"I could hear mine, ticking away inside my pocket, even thought nobody could see it, even though it could tell nothing if anyone could" (85). 

Quentin wants to escape the sound of time. At first, he tries to ignore time. In contrast, he actually has a great sense of time because he'll feel like it's noon. He says he hears time ticking away like a clock. However, he broke his watch as an attempt to stop time. Quentin wants to leave the world because life is meaningless to him. He cannot escape the sound of the ticking clock in his life so the only way to truly escape is to end his life.