As I Lay Dying Research Paper

Abstract

This essay primarily focuses on analyzing William Faulkner’s purpose of writing the novel As I Lay Dying. This essay argues that the novel was primarily written as satire to mock heroic epics by ridiculing rural Southerners in the early twentieth century. This essay argues that the novel is written as an ironic quest in order to mock the typical romantic quest. In essence, the novel has an easy-to-follow structure and the essay reveals this through characterization and organization. Each character is tested in amusing ways and is full of a plethora of alternative agendas and motives. The research conducted for this essay was from journals on JSTOR and from the novel As I Lay Dying. The research was primarily focused on the ironic quest and the satirical and comedic aspects of the story. Humorous Adventure

The epic is a longtime favorite of literary admirers for centuries. The stories of Perseus, King Arthur, and Odysseus can be seen as true representations of the romantic quest. On the contrary, the characters Cash, Darl, and Dewey Dell in the novel As I Lay Dying also venture on a quest. However, it is more humorous than heroic due to its feeble dangers and lack of true heroism. Quests have

In all quests, there is a damsel in distress. In As I Lay Dying, Dewey Dell is the damsel. Her characteristics primarily stem from her lazy personality. For example, Dewey Dell wanted the harvest at the farm to die to avoid working the fields (Kerr). She was quoted saying working was “like a wet seed wild in the hot blind earth” (Faulkner). Dewey Dell’s foremost motive behind travelling to Jefferson was to get an abortion. An abortion was seen as rather extreme and was viewed as radical at the time. This illustrates her complete opposite motive for traveling for the burial. Even more materialistic, Dewey Dell sought to find “bananas” to feast on while travelling