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William faulkners influence
William faulkners influence
The "as i lay dying" analysis
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“As I Lay Dying”, is a well known novel, written by William Faulkner, who tells a story about a dying mother and her one last dying wish. The Bundren family tries to attempt to grant the mother’s, Addie Bundren, last wish but each character had his or her selfish reasons for actually traveling to where Addie Bundren wished to be buried at. The journey to Jefferson burial grounds had the Bundren’s helping one another through the different situations that occurred, but also the Bundren family had many differences between each character that caused betrayal to one another. Addie Bundren, was the mother to the Bundren kids and wife to Anse Bundren. Addie appeared sick in the beginning of the novel and progressed quickly than expected too and …show more content…
Anse only really cared about himself and only did things to benefit himself. “God’s will be done,” he says.”Now I can get me them teeth”(52). Anse’s main reason for going along with the rest of the family was not to help them or respect Addie’s last wish, but to benefit himself with getting new teeth. Anse’s biggest betrayal to his family and Addie was remarrying. “Kind of hangdog and proud too, with his teeth and all, even if he wouldn’t look at us.”Meet Mrs. Bundren,” he says (261). Anse did not have enough respect to wait a few days after Addie’s death to get remarried instead he got remarried shortly after her death. This also shows his selfishness by not caring about how the rest of family might feel about it. Each family member gave up something along the trip to Jefferson , unlike Anse who just benefited from the journey not caring how anyone else felt or what he or she was going through. Jewel Bundren’s character seemed to betray his family and mother by showing no affection to others and having a rigid and rude mind set, but Jewel was the only one who actually cared about getting his mother to Jefferson. Jewel showed his honor and bravery to his family by crossing his family through the river when it was unsafe but he knew he had to do it for his mother’s last dying wish to get accomplished. “Let Jewel take the end of the rope and cross upstream of us and brace it”(146). This states on how Jewel is being brave and taking the lead in the journey to Jefferson to get things
In the beginning years of Janie’s life, there were two people who she is dependent on. Her grandmother is Nanny, and her first husband is named Logan Killicks. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, “Janie, an attractive woman with long hair, born without benefit of clergy, is her heroine” (Forrest). Janie’s grandmother felt that Janie needs someone to depend on before she dies and Janie could no longer depend on her. In the beginning, Janie is very against the marriage. Nanny replied with, “’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, its protection. ...He done spared me...a few days longer till Ah see you safe in life” (Hurston 18). Nanny is sure to remind Janie that she needs a man in her life for safety, thus making Janie go through life with that thought process.
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.
He has treated his family poorly, because he puts himself first. Examples include Dewey Dell’s abortion money being stolen and Jewel’s horse being bargained. Anse’s attitude toward life is terrible. He wakes up everyday wanting to have a better life, then pities about the life he has now. He bases his decision with living the life he has, on God. He expects a reward in Heaven, in return for the life he has now. His relationship with his wife is very interesting. Normally, when a wife is dying in bed, the husband goes out of his way to be with her and pray maybe. But Anse on the other hand has been with her, and pretended that he was sad, but in his mind, is glad that she is passing away. The fact that he had found another wife by the end of the story tells me that he has gotten over her. The biggest problem that Anse really has is his selfishness. He puts himself first over anything and everyone. He wants new teeth, but in order to get them, Addie must be dead. He must also steal money because he doesn’t want to earn any for himself. Since he didn’t work, the family lives in a lower status house, giving them all the reputation of being hillbillies. Unfortunately, Anse really doesn’t change throughout the novel. He starts off as selfish and lazy, and ends selfish and lazy. Not only that, he finds a new wife, and introduces her to the family. According to Anse’s mind, he deserves Heaven, but I don’t believe it will be easy for him to get there because of all the things he has done. The point of living is to do things for the common good, but that is not displayed in Anse. He does not live out his life, but somewhat lives out his life as “dead.” Being dead is not trying in life. Anse doesn’t try to do anything for others, but only himself. His view on working is going to come back to bite him. He may have a vision in his mind that he’s going to Heaven but in true reality, he will find out that it may take a
Addie causes all the painful actions around her family either directly or indirectly. Addie is foremost the prominent abuser of her upcoming death in As I Lay Dying. She predetermines her time to die, and she makes sure that the people in her family whom she dislikes must experience her wrath before she moves on to the next life. "Addie is the one who is dying, but she makes revenges run throughout the family and extend beyond" (Wadlington 35). Inflicting pain mostly on Anse, Addie enjoys herself. Anse, a lazy man, is forced by his wife to take her to Jefferson to be buried as her final request. Addie's revenge on Anse was payback for all the times when he just sat around while Addie, her children, and sometimes neighbors do all the hard work for him. Also "Addie reacts to Anse's arid conventionality by having a clandestine affair with minister Whitfield" (Wadlington 31). Addie also indirectly hurts one of her favorite sons, Cash. Cash is hurt indirectly when he helps ! his kinfolk carry his mother's coffin to Jefferson, where along the path, he breaks his leg while crossing a flooded river. Although Cash is one of Addie's favorites besides Jewel, Addie's cruel revenge carries over to Cash's broken leg, which later becomes infected. Besides her indirect action on Cash's leg, Cash is the most favorite of Addie. As Wadlington states, "He is very much his mother's son in expressing his feelings through physical action rather than through words by building a coffin for the mother he loves" (Wadlington 41).
Plot: The matriarch of a poverty-stricken southern family, Addie Bundren, dies in her bed. Married to Anse Bundren, she has five children: Jewel, Cash, Darl, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman Bundren. Her neighbors, Vernon and Cora Tull (as well as their children), care for Addie in her final days as her family keeps the house running. Cash, the oldest, spends most of his time building a coffin for his mother right underneath her window. The second oldest child, Darl, and the youngest, Vardaman, just try to survive during the time of the book.
William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying, tells the story of a family that journeys cross-country with the intentions to find a proper resting place for their mother, Addie Bundren. After reading for only a short time, it becomes clear that two of her sons, Jewel and Darl, play a much larger role in the story than the other siblings. One could find many good points to support either character being labeled as the protagonist of the story, such as the various tensions that can clearly be seen between them. That being said, Darl is, without a doubt, the best possible choice. He is forced to overcome more obstacles, including alienation from his entire family, than any other character, and is truly a changed person by the end of the novel.
During his journey to the burial site of his wife, he always was worrying about his well being before the family’s well being. The only reason that he decided to carry out Addie’s wish was that he wanted to improve his image by getting false teeth. He did care for his wife, but this caring was overshadowed by his love to improve himself.
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
Eventhough As I lay Dying is a story revolved around the death of a mother, Addie Bundren, the true content of the story develops from information given to the audience through a multitude of narrators. The relationship between each family member and their association with Addie's death differentiates from person to person. Through her husband, Anse, we are introduced to his philosophy that man should keep stationary. Anse explains, "The lord put roads for travelling; why he laid them down flat on the Earth. When he aims for something to be always a-moving, he makes it long ways, like a road or a horse or a wagon, but when he aims for something to stay put, He makes it up and down ways, like a tree or a man" (24). In comparing a tree to a man, Anse feels that eventhough alive, man was not created to move about. This idea exhibits a lack of suspense within Anse, which may or may not have been Annie's desire to have an affair which lead to the birth of her child Jewel. Interestingly, Anse contradicts his own beliefs to fullfill his wife's wishes to be layed to rest next to her own family. This act can also be seen as selfish when Anse really desires a new set of teeth.
Before Addie marries Anse Bundren (Pa), she is a school teacher, one that seemed to almost sadistically enjoy punishing the children saying that. When she punished them she basically made the children feel as alone as she feels thinking to herself “No...
The monologue occurs "as I lay dying," but it is revealed to us that she lay dead, her will still powerfully dictating the acts and temperaments of her children.As the passage begins, Addie remembers her life as a schoolgirl before her marriage to Anse. To get away from the hateful school she took Anse; and she shortly discovered, with the birth of their first child, that "living was terrible and that this was no answer to it. That was when I learned that that words are no good; that words don't ever fit even what they are trying to say." (Faulkner AILD pg.171). These wor...
Anse Bundren is depicted as a selfish character who puts his own goals before his family’s. For example, Anse easily steals away money and the goals of his children. He steals the money that Cash had been saving in order to get a graphophone, and sells Jewel’s horse in order to buy mules that were, in actuality, unnecessary. Ironically enough, both the horse and the graphophone are symbols that represent each of the boys’ freedom. Jewel’s
The first two people Janie depended on were her Grandmother, whom she called Nanny, and Logan Killicks. Janie’s marriage to Logan Killicks was partially arranged by Nanny. Nanny had felt the need to find someone for Janie to depend on before she died and Janie could no longer depend on her. At first, Janie was very opposed to the marriage. Nanny responded with, “’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. ...He (God) done spared me...a few days longer till Ah see you safe in life.”(p.14) Nanny instilled the sense of needing a man for safety on Janie that Janie keeps with her throughout her life. After Nanny’s death, Janie continued to stay with Logan despite her dislike for him. She would have left immediately, however, if she did not need to depend on him.
Is Anse sincere in wanting to fulfill his promise to Addie, or is he driven by
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.