William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a novel about how the conflicting agendas within a family tear it apart. Every member of the family is to a degree responsible for what goes wrong, but none more than Anse. Anse's laziness and selfishness are the underlying factors to every disaster in the book. Anse is loaded with faults and vices. At twenty-two Anse becomes sick from working in the sun after which he refuses to work claiming he will die if he ever breaks a sweat again. Anse becomes lazy, and turns Addie into a baby factory in order to have children to do all the work. Addie is inbittered by this, and is never the same. Anse is begrudging of everything. Even the cost of a doctor for his dying wife seems money better spent on false teeth to him. "I never sent for you" Anse says "I take you to witness I never sent for you" he repeats trying to avoid a doctor's fee. Before she dies Addie requests to be buried in Jefferson. When she does, Anse appears obsessed with burying her there. Even after Addie had been dead over a week, and all of the bridges to Jefferson are washed out, he is still determined to get to Jefferson. Is Anse sincere in wanting to fulfill his promise to Addie, or is he driven by another motive? Anse acts as a villianous character within a play, falsifying his words and actions about poor Addie but secretly thinks only of getting another wife and false teeth in Jefferson. When it becomes necessary to drive the wagon across the river, he proves himself to be undeniably lazy as he makes Cash, Jewel, and Darl drive the wagon across while he walks over the bridge, a spectator. Anse is also stubborn; he could have borrowed a team of mules from Mr. Armstid, but he insists that Addie would not have wanted it that way. In truth though Anse uses this to justify trading Jewel's horse for the mules to spare himself the expense. Numerous times in the book he justifies his actions by an interpretation of Addie's will. Anse not only trades Jewel's horse without asking, but he also steals Cash's money. Later on he lies to his family saying that he spent his savings and Cash's money in the trade. "I thought him and Anse never traded," Armstid said. "Sho," they did "All they liked was the horse" Eustace a farmhand of Mr. Snopes said. Anse steels Cash's money and towards the end of the book he also takes ten dollars from Dewey Dell. As his daughters abortion fails, his first son is admitted to a hospital for crazys, and his second is gimped for life - Anse buys a second wife. With money he has begrudged, stolen, and talked his way out of paying, he finally buys some new teeth and a new wife for the price of a graphophone. What defies explanation is why Anse is so cold-hearted and indifferent to his children? What has changed him from the hard working twenty-two year old man he once was. In conclusion, by thinking only of himself Anse destroys his family. He is selfish whenever his need's conflict with those of his family. His motives for cheating and lying range from the greed of money to self pity. Instead of what can I do for them Anse will always be the one thinking what can they do for me.
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.
“God’s will be done, now I can get teeth,” Anse says after Addie’s death. To some people, it may seem weird that someone wants new teeth, and to others, it might make them wonder if he’s sad about his wife’s death. Anse Bundren, a middle-aged man, has a reputation of being a lazy and selfish person. But how does that play a role in As I Lay Dying? How has Anse’s relationship with his family, his wife, and himself affect the outcome of the story? Another thing about Anse is his view of Addie’s death. How has Anse Bundren become dead in the story, but is really still alive?
In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner comments on how death affects individuals differently and how sanity is not defined by a mental state but rather by a community of people. Varying viewpoints in narratives, allow the reader to gain insight into the character's thoughts. However, he uses perspectives outside of the Bundren family in order for the reader to create some sort of truth.
... there is a direct correlation between Jewel's treatment of his horse and his ambitions. He is opposed to the family sitting by the bed and watching Addie die and cash sawing away at Anse' coffin. But at the same time he tells Darl to shut up when Darl raises an objection to the three dollar trip Addie tells them to make.
Addie is actually the perfect character to try and describe the lack or void of words and meanings. The very fact that she is dead and is talking about this void from the dead is important. In a way she is speaking from a void between life and death. Morna Flaum expresses this idea in her article, “Elucidating Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying.” “Her condition of deadness, speaking from the void between is and not-is makes her the perfect vehicle for Faulkner to describe the indescribable, approach the unapproachable, express the inexpressible, as he so gracefully does, does-not. The placement of Addie’s chapter in the middle of her long journey from deathbed to grave is also significant.” Flaum goes on to say that this placement of Addie’s chapter
Anse, like a vulture, is cool and calculating. As Addie is lying in bed, Anse sits on the front doorstep of the house waiting for her to die.
Throughout the book, Anse is constantly complaining about not having teeth. He wants them so he can look nicer and hopefully find another wife. To get the money, Anse argues with Dewey Dell because she has money that he can use. The argument ends with Dewey Dell narrating, “He took the money and went out” (Faulkner, page 257). Anse took the money so he look fancier with teeth and impress a woman from the city. Dewey Dell also struggles with herself internally for the duration of the novel. She has sex with a man from town, Lafe, and becomes pregnant. The only support he offers her is giving her ten dollars to get an abortion, which Anse eventually takes from her. Dewey Dell is forced to try and hide her pregnancy without any help from Lafe. Vardaman too struggles with the fact of being underprivileged. He wants to purchase a toy train set from a store in town, but the family can’t afford it. He is constantly nagging about it; the train set represents wealth and prosperity, but Vardaman can’t understand why the family can’t purchase it. All of these points show the internal conflicts that the characters face throughout the novel and how their needs and wants exemplify their want to escape this lower class feeling and become more alike the
Eddie is not doing the best for his family at all and he is without
The women in As I Lay Dying are deeply affected by the patriarchal society because they all react differently to their situations. Faulkner’s portrayal of these women shows the tragic situation of women during the era and creates sympathy in the reader. Despite this, his portrayal is overlooked and depreciated due to the stereotypical and vengeful portrayal of the
Through Darl’s flashback, the reader is able to better understand Addie and Jewel as passionate characters. For instance, Jewel is revealed to be a hard worker, but passionate not toward his work, but his goal: a horse. Jewel’s character really only finds sanctuary in this horse, as it serves as something he can connect to, albeit through beating, and also as a physical barrier from his family, acting as a symbol of Jewel’s freedom from the family. The horse even acts as a physical barrier, as he is described as riding
In As I Lay Dying the Bundren family faces many hardships dealing with death and physical nature. Nature plays a major role in moving Faulkner’s story. Nature takes a toll on the family in their time of despair of losing a loved one. They are challenged by human nature and the nature of the elements. Throughout the story the family overcomes the human nature of emotions and the nature of the weather. They face nature in the most peculiar ways, like a flood that keeps them from crossing, the decaying body of Addie, and how they all grieve over the death of Addie; Dewey Dell said, “I heard that my mother is dead. I wish I had time to let her die. I wish I had time to wish I had” (Faulkner 110). The forces of nature compete with the Burden family.
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.
her but she is playing 'Hard to get', so he is confused if he is or
education, so he decides to become a gentleman, and finding that life is difficult, and