This essay analyzes the novel "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner.
So a quick recap: The story starts with the eldest kid of the Bundren family making his mother’s coffin and the mother watching through the window. People gathered around her are depicted as buzzards that are waiting for her to die. Addie Bundren soon after fulfills their silent wish and dies, but not before making her husband, Anse, promise to bury her in her home town Jefferson, 40 miles away. The family waits 3 days for the wagon, and spends a long time in search of a standing bridge since the monstrous storm has collapsed them all. T
hey finally try to cross through the ford and partially succeed in doing so: they do make it to the other side with the coffin however, the mules all drown and the eldest son, Cash breaks his leg. They stop in a town on their way to Jefferson in where while the rest looks for cement to build a cast for Cash, the daughter, Dewey Dell goes into a pharmacy to seek medication to abort her pregnancy.
Table of Contents
- So a quick recap: The story starts with the eldest kid of the Bundren family making his mother's coffin and the mother watching through the window.
- This story revolves around a somber fog of insanity that reveals itself in almost every chapter.
- Even with its ludicrous points, the storyline seems ordinary: no one slays any dragons, no lawyer tries to defeat racism...It's only the story of a family that tries to bury its recently deceased mother.
- I believe that while writing the book William Faulkner struggled with the concept of human nature and the famous question of "What happens to the rest of the world when we're no longer in it?"
- In conclusion, in As I Lay Dying William Faulkner plays with the elements of literature, combining them and taking them apart to suit his own interest and being successful in doing so.
Objectives and Key Themes
The novel, As I Lay Dying, delves into the complex tapestry of human nature and the impact of death on a family's individual journeys. It explores the multifaceted nature of reality and truth, highlighting how personal perceptions and experiences shape individual understanding.
- The impact of death and grief on a family
- The struggle with individual identity and the search for meaning
- The multifaceted nature of reality and truth
- The power of human will and determination
- The complexities of human relationships and family dynamics
Chapter Summaries
The opening chapters introduce the Bundren family as they grapple with Addie's impending death. The family's determination to fulfill her dying wish to be buried in Jefferson sets the stage for their arduous journey. The chapters following Addie's death depict the family's struggles with grief, individual desires, and the challenges of their journey. The narrative shifts between the perspectives of various family members, offering a fragmented yet intimate glimpse into their thoughts and motivations. The family's journey is fraught with obstacles, including the loss of their mules, Cash's broken leg, and the looming presence of death and decay. The chapters also explore the complexities of family relationships, highlighting the tension between individual needs and collective goals.
Keywords
The novel explores themes of death, grief, family, identity, individual perception, reality, truth, human nature, and the impact of death on individual journeys. The narrative style, characterized by multiple consciousnesses and stream of consciousness, allows for a nuanced exploration of these themes.
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- Naz Tuzger (Autor:in), 2015, As The Reader Died Reading "As I Lay Dying", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/306651
