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Themes in As I Lay Dying by Faulkner
Themes in As I Lay Dying by Faulkner
Critical assessment on as i lay dying by william faulkner
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Judgement from an outside perspective tends to lead to misconceptions about the individual. However, the way others perceived can be a direct reflection of who they actually are. In William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying, the Bundren family travels to Jefferson to bury the recently deceased Addie and fulfill her dying wish. Along their journey, the Bundrens fight to cross a river without a bridge, battle with personal issues, and learn to cope with death in various ways. The character traits of Dewey Dell, Darl, and Jewel Bundren are developed through their distinct thoughts and actions along with the opinions of others. Dewey Dell’s sexuality becomes blatantly obvious because of her actions and Tull’s thoughts about her. As Dewey Dell and …show more content…
Dewey Dell realizes that Lafe intentionally puts his cotton into her sack. To justify her actions, Dewey Dell reasons that “… if it don’t mean for me to do it the sack will not be full and I will turn up the next row but if the sack is full, I cannot help it”(27). Dewey Dell’s justification of her sexual actions as fate leads to her unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Dewey Dell feels vulnerable due to the fact that she is the only girl in her family, so her sexuality takes over. Dewey Dell seeks justification, but in reality she would still exchange the unjustifiable sexual favors just to fulfill her sexual desires. Living in a home full of male figures embarrasses Dewey Dell so she wants to explore herself, and Lafe gives her an ideal opportunity. Dewey Dell justifies her actions using fate so she can explore her sexuality and will have a seemingly desirable excuse to use on her family should they ever find out. Furthermore, Tull notices Dewey Dell’s stares when he tries to help the Bundrens cross the river. In his mind, Tull thinks “I can feel that gal watching me like I had made to touch her” (125). Tull openly hints at Dewey Dell’s sexuality when he notices her deep, …show more content…
Acknowledging Darl’s fierce stares, Tull notes that “…it aint never been what he done so much or said or anything so much as how he looks at you. It’s like he had got into the inside of you, someway” (125). Tull notices that Darl has the capability to expose a person with just one stare. By looking at an individual, Darl’s intuitiveness allows him to look through a person and see them for who they truly are. Darl leaves others feeling vulnerable, because he seems to uncover their darkest secrets. His intuitiveness causes people to distance themselves from him because they feel intimidated. Darl seems to be isolated from everyone, even his own family, so his ability to seemingly discover even the most hidden desires makes him a threat. With just one stare, Tull feels a sense of unieasiness because Darl’s intuitiveness allows him to get inside Tull and seemingly know all of Tull’s secrets as if they were his
This is a story of a journey, the adventures on the road that creates disconcert. Having died while a son sawed her coffin beneath her window, Addie Bundren is carried away in the family wagon through the road of yoknapatawpha. The family wanted to pleases her wish to be buried near her blood relatives in the Jefferson. Nothing goes well, their journey, like their spiritual life, is empty and confused. All the family members have their own reasons and motives for the journey, as they pass through unfortunate accidents both comic and terrible, fire and flood, suffering and stupidity, until at least, they reach the town. The rotten corpse is buried, Dewey Dell fails in her effort to get an abortion, Cash is badly injured, Darl has gone to a mental institution, and at the very end, and the father suddenly remarries to another woman. The various ways each Bundren family member deal with Addie's death is related to Addie's view of each child. In analyzing Addie's behavior, her understanding of life, maternity and sexuality we can determine that she represents not only the stereotyping but the feeling of revenge and defiant, that lead us to understand why her children react the way they do. (sparknotes.com)
Yoknapatawpha County is a fictional county made up by William Faulkner in which As I Lay Dying takes place in; this is now the third novel to take place here. As I Lay Dying was one of the last novels written in the 1920’s by William Faulkner and within fifty-nine chapters, this novel features a unique narration of fifteen different first person narrators. Each chapter is written from that particular character’s perspective telling their version of what is happening in the novel, making this not only an interesting take on narration but a compelling read as well. Faulkner uses the characters use of language to help us identify and see glimpses into the lives of the Bundren family; through this we can understand the revenge and secrets from within the characters that is blind to the most if not all-remaining characters within the novel.
William Faulkner in his book, As I Lay Dying, portrays a Mississippi family which goes through many hardships and struggles. Faulkner uses imagery to illustrate an array of central themes such as the conscious being or existence and poverty among many others. From the first monologue, you will find an indulgence of sensual appeal, a strong aspect of the novel. Each character grows stronger and stronger each passage. One of the themes in As I Lay Dying is a human's relations to nature. Faulkner uses imagery to produce a sense of relation between animals and humans.
“Whose affection do you value more, hers or the others” (104)? This is the question that Leo Borlock, of Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, must answer. While reading this book, one finds that Leo’s character is rather confusing. At times, he is enchanted and in love with Stargirl, the new student at Mica Area High School, and at other moments he is embarrassed by her, tries to change her, and avoids her. He can’t seem to decide whether he values Stargirl or the rest of the school more. His behavior, though puzzling, can be better understood when considering Freud’s psychoanalytical theory regarding the parts of the human psyche. Consistent with this theory, Leo is being pulled in two different directions: towards Stargirl who represents his
“As I Lay Dying, read as the dramatic confrontation of words and actions, presents Faulkner’s allegory of the limits of talent” (Jacobi). William Faulkner uses many different themes that make this novel a great book. Faulkner shows his talent by uses different scenarios, which makes the book not only comedic but informational on the human mind. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is a great book that illustrates great themes and examples. Faulkner illustrates different character and theme dynamics throughout the entire novel, which makes the book a humorous yet emotional roller coaster. Faulkner illustrates the sense of identity, alienation, and the results of physical and mental death to show what he thinks of the human mind.
The aforementioned is not always easy to do, as interests and beliefs are constantly nourished with new information. It becomes easier to follow the behavior of a popular music artist if exposure derives from friends in a group or growing personal interests. Drugs are prominent in poor Black communities, but gangs are equally dangerous for young Americans. Territorial obsession and superficial pride will warp the mindset of young Black Americans in neighborhoods like Citrus Grove, and sometimes it becomes too late for them to realize what’s important. Although Dexter’s specialty is not the best, Pam Noles uses him to show both the consequences of apathy and exhibiting a flawed mindset. As with false idols, Dexter’s lust for Tamika and projection onto her of everything he wants shrouds his thoughts as he “couldn’t imagine her ever forgetting him”. What is saddest about Dexter and Tamika’s relationship is the underlying truth she refuses to share. When “the last bits of him [flowed] from every part of her”, Dexter’s emotions exploded with rage, frustration, and depression. Even when Tamika prizes keeping her friendship with Peek and attempts to swoon a player, Tamika is disparaged for her erotic behavior by her friend. Crowning the wrong people leads only to disappointment in the end. Acting this way induces confusion. Revering the wrong individual can damage one’s decision-making capabilities. You can lose sight of who you are and what you believe in by performing for other’s benefit and not your
Narration in As I Lay Dying is bewildering at best. And at worst it is a ragged collection of thoughts and paraphrased verbatim by sporadically chosen characters in the wrong order. But no one is trying to claim that this book is normal. The most notable attribute of Faulkner’s narration is the changing narrator idea. Faulkner starts out telling the story from Darl’s po...
Death is one of the most difficult concepts for people to come to terms with because it is an experience unknown by the living. The novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is centralized around the passing of the hard working mother, Addie Bundren. Her last wish was to be buried in Jefferson, so her family embarks on a long and arduous trek to fulfill it. On the journey, the characters struggle with obstacles that make going to Jefferson exceptionally difficult as well as internal conflicts that arise from the death, ranging from fixating on building a coffin to stating that their mother is a fish. Even though a character may be dead for a majority of the book, the lack of presence acts as a catalyst for events that heavily influences other
In As I Lay Dying (1930), Faulkner creates the deceitful, insensitive character, Anse Bundren, who will do anything to get what he wants, even if it means stealing and injuring his own children, symbolizing the avarice and apathy that can result from a world of non education, poverty, and overall suffering.
William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying tells the story of the poor Bundren family from rural Mississippi and their journey to bury their dying matriarch. Narrated from the perspective of each of the seven Bundrens, as well as several of their friends and acquaintances, Faulkner creates a multilayered account of the quest to lay their mother, wife, and friend to rest. But why all the fuss? Addie Bundren, the woman they aim to bury, was a selfish, hateful woman who always put the needs of herself above of those of her family. Addie’s moral hypocrisy and lack of regard for anything or anyone but herself causes her entire family needless suffering.
In Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying we can meet with 15 different characters, who narrate the story from own perspective. One of those characters is Dewey Dell, to whom life changed completely after mother’s death. She is the only girl in the Bundren family of boys and on top of all, she is pregnant. Owing to the consequence of the affair, she is much more interested in getting rid of her pregnancy than her mother’s funeral. However, the situation is not easy for her, because she doesn’t want this child and she can’t talk about her secret with anyone. She approaches the world in her own, unclear way, which is partially shaped through circumstances she grew up. At once, she has to cope not just with the consequences of her romance, but also she has to accept a new role of mother and women in the house of the Bundren family. While other relatives have chance to manifest their feelings about the journey to Jefferson, she is ignored and feels rather alone.She is looking for a solution from her precarious situation, but she fails all the way. Her childish and artless nature is suddenly forced to behave as a woman, who seems to be lost. Therefore, the character of Dewey Dell becomes a victim of the whole story.
William Faulkner, a Nobel Prize winning author, wrote the novel "As I Lay Dying" in six weeks without changing a word. Considering the story's intricate plot, not changing a single word seems like it would take a literary genius to complete. Many people agree that Faulkner could very well be a genius due to the organization of this story. Faulkner uses fifteen different characters to narrate and allow the reader to analyze each of their point of views. Through the confessions of each character, the reader is able to form his or her opinion about different characters and issues. Since some narrators are unreliable for different reasons, it could be confusing to form opinions. One character that is easily understood is Dewey Dell Bundren. She is the only daughter in the Bundren family and ends up being the only woman in the family. "As I Lay Dying", the story of a family's journey to bury their mother and wife, is also the story of Dewey Dell's journey toward maturity. Along their journey to bury their mother, the characters, like Dewey Dell, seem to evolve through their encounters with other people. Faulkner depicts Dewey Dell as a very monotonous person in the beginning of the book. In the beginning, Dewey Dell is seen fanning her mother, picking cotton, or milking cows. However, towards the end of the book, her repetitiveness is lost. Towards the end of the novel, Faulkner specifically shows Dewey Dell in numerous situations becoming a mature individual.
William Faulkner used irony to represent the Christian characters as pharisees or as a Christ figure. Since As I Lay Dying, was written in Modern times, religion had changed. Many people did not base their existence on faith, but rather by just living. The characters in As I Lay Dying are in conflict with themselves. They are searching to find meaning within life and to understand religion and sin. William Faulkner reveals how many during this time faced issues and conflicts that dealt with making their lives more meaningful. He also shows how women during this era were expected to be pure. They were expected have kids and be strong in their faith. While, men were more hypocritical in their faith. For instance Jewel, who questioned if God really existed and Reverend Whitfield, the most hypocritical character who had
Darl Darl, the second child of Anse and Addie Bundren is the most prolific voice in the novel As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner. Darl Bundren, the next eldest of the Bundren children, delivers the largest number of interior monologues in the novel. An extremely sensitive and articulate young man, he is heartbroken by the death of his mother and the plight of his family's burial journey. Darl seemed to possess a gift of clairvoyance, which allowed him to narrate; for instance, the scene of Addie's death. Even though he and Jewel were away at the time.
Many mothers, regardless of age or situation, share sympathetic life ideals. They all share the common goal of raising their children wholesome; they want to create an environment of love, nurture, and support for their children as well. A mother’s effort to implant good values in her children is perpetual; they remain optimistic and hope that their children would eventually become prosperous. However, some women were not fit to be mothers. Thus, two different roles of a mother are portrayed in As I Lay Dying written by William Faulkner. Faulkner uses the literary technique of first person narrative with alternating perspectives. By doing so, Faulkner adds authenticity and the ability to relate (for some) to the two characters Addie Bundren and Cora Tull. The first person narrative acts as an important literary technique because it allows the reader to experience the opposing views of Addie and Cora; they are both mothers who act as foils to each other because of their diverse opinions and outlooks on motherhood, religion and life.