William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying is considered the classic American tragedy. Taking place in the poor South in the 1920s, this novel follows the Bundren family in their journey from Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi to Jefferson, Mississippi to bury their mother. Within this context, Faulkner explores themes such as the impermanence of existence, the tension between words and thoughts, and the role of the family. To illustrate these themes and to add a layer of depth to the novel, Faulkner effectively makes use of symbolism. Ranging from people to places to objects, each symbol used in As I Lay Dying, is purposeful and holds meaning.
First of all, each name that Faulkner uses in the novel holds a specific meaning and reveals something about the character. Even the family’s name, “Bundren,” is meaningful. “Bund,” the root of this word, means a “league, confederacy, or association” (Merriam Webster). This ties in the theme of family and familial obligation. They are bound together, not by choice, but because they are a family. The name Bundren is also closely associated with the word “burden,” meaning “something that is carried; a duty or responsibility” (Merriam Webster). This perfectly describes what the Bundrens are facing in As I Lay Dying. They are literally carrying their burden -- their mother’s corpse -- all the way to Jefferson. They do this out of a sense of obligation and to respect her wishes. It is quite a burden for them to accomplish this task, but they do it anyways.
Anse is the patriarch of the Bundren family. The name Anse is closely related to the word “anserous,” which means “like a goose; stupid or silly” (Merriam Webster). Anse lives up to his name throughout As I Lay Dying. He proves his ignorance, stupidity,...
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Another symbol that Faulkner uses throughout As I Lay Dying is Cash’s tool set. As a carpenter, Cash takes good care of his tools. They are very valuable to him because they equate to his livelihood. Along with having tangible value, the tools serve as a symbol of Cash’s identity (The Right Tools). This concept is played out in the river-crossing scene. As Cash crosses the river, he keeps his arm around his mother’s coffin and his tool box-- the two things most valuable to him. When the wagon tips in the river and his tools are thrown overboard, Cash is literally unable to speak or move until they are found. (Faulkner X). This demonstrates just how critical Cash’s tools are to his ability to function. In addition to symbolizing Cash, the tools also serve as a symbol for what “normalcy” the Bundrens possess. Tools represent a livelihood and a career
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.
In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, Moseley provides the reader an escape from the delusional world of the Bundrens and a glimpse of society, as it should be. Appearing only once in the novel, the elderly pharmacist is essential in emphasizing Faulkner's theme of moral values over self-seeking voracity in that he defends what he knows is right at all costs. Moseley is introduced in the small town of Mottson, where Dewey Dell wanders into his drugstore store with ten dollars from Lafe, and the intention of eliminating "the female trouble." (200) After much confusion, it is made clear that Dewey Dell wants an abortion, treatment that Moseley repeatedly refuses, despite her persistency. Discouraged, Dewey Dell eventually leaves, after a stern lecture from Moseley and advice to take the money and buy a marriage license. Moseley's morals, contrasting to the other characters' in the novel, may provide support for Faulkner's religious beliefs while adding a sense of righteousness to a world of iniquity.
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 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.
One of the main themes in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is the concept of isolation and loneliness of not just the characters in the book, but humanity itself. Each character is essentially isolated from all the others, as the plot is told through each of the characters’ perspectives through stream of consciousness. As a result of Faulkner’s use of multiple narratives, the reader does not attain an objective third person viewpoint of everything that occurs. The closest the reader gets to an omniscient narrator is Darl Bundren as he is able to relate events that occur while not having been present at the time. Although the Bundrens live together as well as make the journey to Jefferson, it is through their inherent isolation and loneliness that they cannot effectively communicate with each other which ultimately leads to Darl’s fateful actions.
Addie Bundren of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying has often been characterized as an unnatural, loveless, cold mother whose demands drive her family on a miserable trek to bury her body in Jefferson. For a feminist understanding of Addie, we have to move outside the traditional patriarchal definitions of "womanhood" or "motherhood" that demand selflessness from others, blame mothers for all familial dysfunction, and only lead to negative readings of Addie. She also has been characterized as yet another Faulkner character who is unable to express herself using language. This modernist view of the inexpressiblility of the creative spirit does not apply to Addie simply because she is not an artist; she is a woman and a mother, a person who feminist theorists would desribe as "traditionally mute." To characterize her using universalizing, humanist terms erases the way that her character is marked by her biological sex and by the gender roles she is forced to play. Addie is not a representative of humankind, or even of womankind, but an individual woman trapped in a partriarchal world that represses her desires and silences her; a woman who longs to find an identity of her own that is outside patriarchal constructions and not always definable in relation to the men and the children in her life. Most importantly, Addie is a character who is acutely aware of the linguistic and social oppression that traps her into a life she does not want.
As an author, Faulkner worked tirelessly to bring attention to important political issues. Critics and scholars alike laud him for his examination of race, gender roles, and social class. They often overlook his astute characterizations of children. These offspring, who suffer tremendously because of the broken and twisted society they live in, are some of the most fascinating characters featured in Faulkner’s work. Vardaman Bundren, the youngest and most eccentric child featured in As I Lay Dying, is a testament to this fact. While Vardaman displays some symptoms of mild retardation and other learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder serves as a more precise explanation for his behavior. His limited social skills, inappropriate responses,
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.
In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, the Bundren family lives in the rural south of the early 1900s. After Addie, mother of the Bundren children, passes, the rest of the family embarks on an arduous journey to bring her to her gravesite in Jefferson. Addie’s death also sparks individual, mental journeys for the Bundren children, a few of whom begin to grapple with ideas of existentialism. As each character’s interpretations of the surrounding world evolve along his/her journey, the way characters perceive each other also changes. Thus As I Lay Dying discusses identity not only through introspection, but also through the eyes of others. In particular, Vardaman’s repetition and syntax display how his confusion about others’ existence reveals the instability of others’ existence and identity.
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.
The novel “As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner follows a family who is on a journey to bury their recently deceased mother, in the nearby town of Jefferson. The novel is told from the perspective of monologues, told by each of the characters encountered throughout the story. Specifically, Darl Bundren seems to be the protagonist character in this novel. Darl is the second oldest of the Bundren children and seems to be isolated from the rest of the family. As the novella progresses the reader is made aware of changes in Darl’s attitude and also the reasons for why he may be changing this particular way. Darl is misunderstood by his family and by the other characters around him.
William Faulkner, a Nobel Prize winning author, wrote the novel "As I Lay Dying" in six weeks without changing a word. Considering the story's intricate plot, not changing a single word seems like it would take a literary genius to complete. Many people agree that Faulkner could very well be a genius due to the organization of this story. Faulkner uses fifteen different characters to narrate and allow the reader to analyze each of their point of views. Through the confessions of each character, the reader is able to form his or her opinion about different characters and issues. Since some narrators are unreliable for different reasons, it could be confusing to form opinions. One character that is easily understood is Dewey Dell Bundren. She is the only daughter in the Bundren family and ends up being the only woman in the family. "As I Lay Dying", the story of a family's journey to bury their mother and wife, is also the story of Dewey Dell's journey toward maturity. Along their journey to bury their mother, the characters, like Dewey Dell, seem to evolve through their encounters with other people. Faulkner depicts Dewey Dell as a very monotonous person in the beginning of the book. In the beginning, Dewey Dell is seen fanning her mother, picking cotton, or milking cows. However, towards the end of the book, her repetitiveness is lost. Towards the end of the novel, Faulkner specifically shows Dewey Dell in numerous situations becoming a mature individual.
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.
The suffering and pain a person can cause impacts others on an intense magnitude. Even when people cease to exists, they provoke extreme emotions and cause disorder as if they are still alive through memories and surroundings. In the novels, The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying, Faulkner symbolizes the constant internal presence of Addie Bundren and Caddy Compson despite Addie’s death and Caddie’s sacrifices as their disappearances disrupt normality.