The fact that he might not ever smell the pure and innocent caddy again scares Benjy to the point of tears. Since Benjy is still a kid on the inside his emotions are all out of whack. He is unable to be bad or good because he doesn't understand the concepts of those words. When he sees things he sees them from a child's perspective and an outside perspective. Flowers become Benjy's innocent looking glass to the world around him. When Benjy, "[holds] to the fence and looked through the flower spaces" (54), it represents him looking out into the world completely oblivious to anything that does not directly concern him. It is an innocent and childish view of the world. One that knows no hatred and one that knows only love. Like Benjy, Quentin also associates flowers with their sister Caddy, however it is in a much different way. .
Quentin's section is filled with sadness and regret, all egged on by flowers. The flower that is most notably repeated over and over is the honeysuckle. The honeysuckle comes to represent Quentin's obsession with Caddy's sexuality. He is constantly reminded of the loss of caddy's innocence and that makes him go mad. The earliest thought of a honeysuckle is when Quentin flashes back to the memory of Caddy on her period. Faulkner writes, "Delicate equilibrium of periodical filth between moons balancedLiquid putrefaction like drowned things floating like pale rubber flabbily filled getting the odor of honeysuckle all mixed in" (128), to connect the loss of innocence with the smell of honey suckle. This connection is webbed through Quentin's section over and over again never escaping his mind. The internal honeysuckle that is in his mind until he dies, traps him. Quentin himself recognizes the particular symbol of the honeysuckle, as a symbol for Caddy's sexuality. This is a unique attribute that this novel showcases. This attribute is evident when Quentin says, "that damn honeysuckle trying not to think the swing the cedars the secret surges the breathing locked drinking the wild breath the yes Yes Yes yes" (149).
