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What was as i lay dying by william faulkner really about
Social issues in the 1920s in the united states
What was as i lay dying by william faulkner really about
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In the novel “As I Lay Dying” William Faulkner depicts the importance of family and how we can overcome any struggle we may face. Faulkner uses themes of family and love to show how individuals can overcome differences as long as they stick together and love each other. Faulkner also shows us how the Bundren family and friends are close, loyal, and respect each other no matter any grudge or difference they have. The novel uses many different angles of portrayal and many different narrators. These narrators are constantly switching back and forth to each other to give the audience an insight on what is happening and every character's inner thoughts and feelings. Without the use of switchng narrators this novel would not be considered one of the greatest novels written during its time.
The main character, Adie, is not exactly a person we would associate happiness with. Adie is not one of the nicest characters in the book either. She acts with severe hostility towards her students as a teacher. She whips her students until they begin to bleed. She says this helps her become a part of the kids' life, because she hates her own. We also see that she does not love Anse, her husband, and feels no special attachment towards him or her family. Faulkner shows us how Adie is loyal to Anse by giving him three children after she has a child, Jewell, with Whitfield during her marriage. Giving Anse three children is Adie showing remorse for what she has done to her husband. Adie's way of redeeming herself is not exactly what most of society would call “normal” behavior.
Anse has a timid and anxious personality as he calls himself the most unlucky man that has ever lived. He is also a self-proclaimed man without hope. Anse is greedy, selfish, an...
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...nd the common tragedies that had to be tolerated by people like the Bundrens. The novel is an accurate portrayal of its time period and economic class.
Faulkner gives us a story that shows readers how family must stick together and overcome the many obstacles they face during their lives. These hard times a family may face are represented in the story as the trip to Jefferson. Each of the characters have their own personal drive behind them getting to Jefferson, but they come together to deliver their mothers body no matter what happens on the way. Just as each of the children and father have their own desires to reach Jefferson they each have their own points of view. These different points of view give us a unique insight on everything that is happening in the story. Without this innovation of narration readers would be oblivious to all of these personal desires.
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.
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.
By using her optimism she is able to try and see the good in any situation, and her hopefulness encourages her to keep going, that one day things will get better. After Fourth Brother tries to send three heavy books on to Ye Ye’s head, Adeline’s hopefulness is obvious. “It’s bound to get better. One day things will be different. Life won’t go on like this forever. I don’t know when, how or what but I’ll come back and rescue you from this. I promise.” Just by thinking these words Adeline was able to comfort herself, a new feeling of optimism for her and Ye Ye. Adeline’s hopefulness also shows at boarding school in Hong Kong, where she is first in the mail line, waiting and hoping for letters that never come. “Never gets any letters either, although she’s always first in line when the mail gets delivered.” Another example of her optimism and hopefulness is when she and her friends are talking on the balcony at the end of term. “More than anything, I yearn to grow up, get out of here and see the world. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the three of us could sail away on one those big boats...?” Adeline shows very clearly that she has a hopeful and optimistic attittude to help get her through the hard
Emelie's childhood had an affect on her sense of happiness. "I had a dear mother who had multiple sclerosis, but that never got me down. I also had three brothers. There were difficulties in my childhood, but I was fortunate to h...
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.
A horrific aspect of life that many people have a difficult time dealing with is death. The thought of death scares people because as humans we do not have a way to comprehend something that we cannot test, see or even have a grasp of. When a person loses a loved one they get scared by this reality of that they do not know where they are going and when they make it there how will it be for them. In William Faulkner's book, As I Lay Dying, we go through the process at which a family loses a “loved” one and we follow the family all the way until the deceased, Addie Burden, is buried in Jefferson. In As I Lay Dying you see the steps of grieving are different for many people and some of the people will come out destroyed and others without a scratch. The character Cash goes through a process of grief, odd to most in his way of grief we do not see pain because of the pressure he puts on himself to finish the journey for the family. Cash’s brother, Jewel, seems to snap from the pain of losing his mother and he let the pain ingulf his life. Finally, the last
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.
“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.
In this story, it became evident to all of the readers that Anse was a very lackadaisical character. This was shown through a passage were he said, ”If I work…. I will sweat… and if I sweat, then I will die.” This passage is precise showing of his lazy attitude towards life. In another passage Addie said, ”Get up, and move then.” Even after that statement, he sill didn’t feel the need to do anything to help others.
For example, Sethe’s love would cause her to act out in grotesque ways and therefore cause her children to become isolated and fearful. In contrast, Addie’s love is shown without words but it is still very strong to her children. Her love is so strong that once she dies her children struggle identifying who they are without
In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner uses the characters Anse and Cash, and a motif/symbol in "My mother is a fish," to reveal the psychological and societal problems of the twenties and thirties. Written as soon as the panic surrounding the stock market in 1929 started, Faulkner is reported as having, “took one of these [onion] sheets, unscrewed the cap from his fountain pen, and wrote at the top in blue ink, 'As I Lay Dying.' Then he underlined it twice and wrote the date in the upper right-hand corner"(Atkinson 15) We must take care to recognize Faulkner not as a man of apathy, but one of great compassion and indignation at the collapse of the economic foundation of the U.S. This is central in appreciating the great care with which he describes the desolation and poor landscape of Yoknapatawpha County, which is where As I Lay Dying takes place.
By reading closely and paying attention to details, I was able to get so much more out of this story than I did from the first reading. In short, this assignment has greatly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the more complex and subtle techniques Faulkner used to communicated his ideas in the story.
Faulkner portrays the townspeople and Emily in the southern town of Jefferson during the late 1800's to early 1900's. The town is more than just the setting in the story; it takes on its own characterization alongside Emily the main character. It is the main reasoning behind Emily's attitude and actions. It gives the reader an easier understanding into why Emily makes the decisions she does as the story unwinds.
There are plenty of different kinds of books written, and published today. It’s a interesting form of entertainment that still holds up along side modern adaptations, like television or games. Books have a wider open door to visualization and interoperation. People can read things differently according to their own experiences. It’s up to the author to still allow that room for interoperation while keeping the books characters and plot on track. Looking at a book from the point of one main character, people may want to relate themselves to that character. That way they can feel and experience that change the character does.
1. What type of narrative structure is Faulkner using here? Why does he “tell” the story this way? If you were the author, what would you do?