The Sound and The Fury:Book4

Quote 1

"She tailed painfully up the steps. Shapeless, breathing heavily" (268). 

Dilsey is climbing up the stairs to wait on Mrs. Compson. Dilsey is the servant of the Compson family. This scene shows her old because she is having a hard time doing her duties. However, it also shows how she has sustained throughout time. She is old with age because of time but time has not torn her down like the other members of the Compson family. The factor that is different between her and the family is that she does not dwell on the past. She does her job to take care of the family and doesn't ponder about her memories. Dilsey is the figure that survives the deterioration of the family. 

Quote 2

"I've seed de first en de last... I seed de beginning, en now I sees de endin" (297).

Dilsey has witnesses the downfall of the Compsons without being directly affected. Dilsey has been with the Compson family since their children, Jason, Caddy, Benjy, and Quentin were little. Dilsey had to deal with the family falling apart. She has a sense of the time that has past. Unlike the other characters, the sense of time is sequential and is a normal way of life. Benjy does not have a sense of time and has multiple flashbacks. Quentin also has flashbacks but he is trying to stop time and forget the sense of time. Jason has flashbacks as well but only to justify his anger. Dilsey is the character that truly understands that life moves on with time.