Quentin is at Harvard, where a letter arrives from his father to tell him that Rosa has died. He and his college friend, Shreve, are both obsessed with the story of the Sutpen family. Shreve goes back over the cause for the broken engagement. They conclude that Sutpen had suggested that he and Rosa should try to produce a male heir before they marry. Sutpen's plantation was due to be reduced by federal taxes and penalties, and he saw an opportunity to use the Coldfield store to bankroll the restoration of his Estate, as well as the chance to replace his lost son and heir.
After Rosa refused the offer, he simply found a replacement. Wash Jones's teenage granddaughter fell pregnant by Sutpen, but she had a daughter, whom he refused to recognize. Wash.....
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