Theme Of Family In As I Lay Dying

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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.

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