As I Lay Dying Literary Analysis

In the early 1900s, the American South had very distinctive social classes: African Americans, poor white farmers, townspeople, and wealthy aristocrats. This unique class system is reflected in William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying. The Bundrens are a poor, white family, on a quest to bury the now deceased Addie in the town of Jefferson. Taking a Marxist criticism approach to As I Lay Dying, readers will notice how Faulkner’s use of characterization reveals how country folk are looked down upon by the wealthy, upper class. Marxism is an economic and social system developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels during the mid-1800s (What is Marxism). A Marxist literary criticism deals with class consciousness and ideology. Ideology is defined

Because his childhood and adolescent years were spent in the south, many of his stories are reflective of the American South in the early 1900s (Padgett). Faulkner is known for a stream of consciousness style of writing, which features in As I Lay Dying. This novel was written in 1930 and was received with approval. Like many of Faulkner’s other novels, As I Lay Dying takes place in the fictional Yoknapatawpha Country, Mississippi, which Faulkner based off of Lafayette County. The novel features a poverty stricken, southern family who is on a journey to bury the matriarch of the family. In accordance to other novels written by Faulkner, one of the underlying themes is the separation of social classes and how they are

Throughout the story, it is clear that the wealthier people who live in town have a negative attitude toward the Bundrens. On their way to Jefferson, the Bundrens make a stop in a town called Mottson for some supplies. When they arrive, many people living in the town complain about the smell of the wagon, and the Bundrens are eventually asked to leave by the city marshal. After the Bundrens leave, the marshal and Moseley are talking with each other. The marshal comments that they are probably in Jefferson by now, and Moseley responds, “Or in jail. Well, thank the Lord it’s not out jail” (Faulkner 205). This reply is representative of the entire town’s opinion of the Bundrens; they think they are dirty, dumb farmers. This is a perfect example of how the lower class struggles with the wealthy Bourgeoisie. This struggle is further reverberated when Dewey Dell goes into a drugstore in Jefferson, seeking an abortion. The clerk at the store, MacGowan, lies to her saying he is a doctor. He then proceeds to give her fake medicine and take advantage of her sexually. Once again, the two social classes struggle against each other, with the upper taking advantage of the lower. The conflict is shown again when Jewel gets in a scrap with someone from Jefferson. The fight ends with the townsman pulling a knife on Jewel. There are countless examples of the