As I Lay Dying Research Paper

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Love, a theme intricately woven throughout William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying," manifests in various forms, each presenting its complexities and significance. From family bonds to romantic entanglements, self-love to unrequited affections, Faulkner's exploration of love comes into the hearts and minds of his characters, revealing the power and limitations of this emotion. Faulkner's writings undoubtedly have a dark side, but they also exhibit a conviction and a willingness to delve deeply into the world's truth, uncovering its mysteries and exposing its nagging sins so that they become more than just "a matter of words" but rather a portal into the core of things. In the Bundren family, family love remains a driving force despite their dysfunction …show more content…

Faulkner portrays the differences and similarities of family love through characters like Darl's introspection, Jewel's silent devotion, and Dewey Dell's desperate attempts to save her mother. However, tensions within the family highlight the challenges and limitations of this form of love. Faulkner explores romantic love through Dewey Dell's tragic narrative. Her unwavering love for her deceased lover, Lafe, leads her to desperate measures like seeking an abortion. Through Dewey Dell's storyline, Faulkner illustrates the lengths individuals will go to for forbidden love, showcasing its power while also highlighting its tragic consequences. Dewey Dell’s affair with Lafe has caused her to become more ignorant and naive. She is so focused on her pregnancy that she can’t even cry over her mother’s death. She seemed to notice it as well as she admitted to herself that these distractions even obscured her ability to grieve for her mother. Faulkner challenges conventional notions of love, portraying it as a force that is both transformative and limiting. Love in "As I Lay Dying" is filled with contradictions and complexities, intersecting with themes of identity, morality, and

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