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Internal And Internal Conflict In As I Lay Dying By William Faulkner

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In the novel, As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner, Faulkner uses conflict as a way to develop the story and engage the reader. The Bundren family is used by Faulkner specifically because they have the most opportunity for unfortunate events to occur. Within the Bundren family, internal and external conflicts become a part of the family’s daily routine, and an average occurrence. Internal Conflict is a conflict that occurs within a character and an external conflict is a conflict that occurs between a character and an outside force. Both types of conflict are popular in the novel. The use of internal and external conflict in As I Lay Dying is beneficial to the novel's meaning by furthering the plot. Faulkner’s use of internal conflict and external conflict assist in moving the story along and allowing the reader to read between the lines to see the darkness in this Southern Gothic.

In the novel, Faulkner writes Addie’s character as someone who is always being faced with a conflict, and as a depressed woman living a miserable life. Addie’s biggest conflict is internal. Previous to Addie Bundren’s death, and before she is married to Anse Bundren, Addie is a school teacher with a miserable life, and a strong hatred for her job as a school teacher. According to the novel, the worst part about Addie’s job is the children; they never listen to her and due to this, she lives for the moments where she gets to scold them. Faulkner reveals Addie’s pure hatred for the children and

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