4. William Faulkner's “As I Lay Dying” is brilliant in it’s use of disrupted narrative, but also in it’s pioneering use of polyperspectivity. Indeed, the polyperspectivity was the crux of the novella. First, it engendered the same confusion that the family felt with the loss of Addie. For many readers, this would make the novella a difficult read, as people tend to have problems with being taken up into a story, as faulkner intended. Second, it allows one to experience the return to normalcy (or the opposite, seen in the foil of Darl) that each character experiences, from their own point of view. This gives us a much more in depth view of each character's particular neurotic tendencies. Finally, the masterful use of polyperspectivity allows …show more content…
Flannery O'Connor is one of America’s best Catholic writers, by a wide margin. In, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, she goes to great lengths to portray catholic concepts, especially the fall of man to sin. At the beginning of the story, we can see Tom Shiftlet as a man who is very concerned with his own “moral intelligence”, showing that he is open to the love of God. However, right away, hints har given to show that he could also reject God. When he is first described, he wears black, traditionally representing the christian adversary, as well as a disconnection from God more generally. In addition to this, he forms his body into a cross in front of the sun, however it is lopsided and incomplete due to his missing arm. Immediately (though he seems to care little for money) it is obvious that he lusts after Lucynell Crater’s automobile. Mrs. Crater offers to give him a place to stay and feed him, in exchange for work around the farm. However, lest one think that Mrs. Crater is saintly, she is mostly of the hope that Shiftlet will marry her deaf daughter. This forms one of the main interplays of the story, in that both characters have something the other wants, and both know it. This produces quite witty and interesting dialogue throughout. Lucynell the younger, it should be pointed out, is portrayed to be the perfect woman for the man. Indeed, she seems to represent more than simple innocence, but a gift from God. In the end, Mrs. Crater trades the truck for her daughter's hand in marriage, in her mind, winning her salvation. Shiftlet takes the car and Lucynell the younger for a honeymoon. They stop to get food, and Lucynell manages to fall asleep on the table, after which Shiftlet leaves her. Thus he has sealed his fate through rejecting the goodwill of God in the name of freedom in true luciferian fashion. The car has previously been likened to a casket and a coffin, through Mrs. Crater and Mr. Shiftlet conversations. It has now become his casket,
Shiftlet is so desperate to escape the responsibility of marriage that he is willing to showcase his more materialistic side, in hopes of making himself undesirable or seemingly unfit for that type of commitment. Another example of symbolism in this story is the title itself. Although he does not realize it, Tom has stumbled across the old woman’s farm because fate brought him there for a specific reason; he is given the choice of helping these people and possibly “saving” their lives, or saving his own life (in his eyes, his freedom). “In Mrs. Crater and Lucynell, Shiftlet is presented with an opportunity for a real sacrifice, an opportunity to love unlovable people. Shiftlet refuses it in order to remain free and mobile...Shiftlet is trying to save his own life - while he is given the chance to at least improve Lucynell’s or Mrs. Crater’s.” (Ragen). Just from the very first description of Tom, the readers could sense he may not be the most reliable or trustworthy person, but they also secretly hope that, as the story moves along, he will become a better person and realize his full potential as a husband and caretaker. The symbolism of the story’s title immediately gives the audience an idea that something is at risk here, and while the obvious answer is Mrs. Crater’s and Lucynell’s lives, Tom believes the answer is his version of life: freedom.
Most works of literature often use events and objects to display a deeper meaning to the current situation. In As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner, there are many references that connect the Bundren family to mythological, Biblical, and classical allusions. Faulkner’s use of various types of allusions emphasizes the characters’ behavior and relationship to each other.
Flannery O’Connor uses a number of literary devices throughout her writings. Digging deeper into the context of the story helps readers develop meaningful connections. Symbolism is a reoccurring device used by O’Connor to make her stories have a deeper meaning. When Tom T. Shiftlet, one of the main characters is introduced, he is described as a figure forming a crooked cross against the sky, representing that Shiftlet is not a godly man, he is a bit ‘crooked’ and is not a spiritual man (Hendin, 1970). Later in the story Shiftlet asks
(146) In order to emphasize his humility and goodness, Tom has been cast as a ?one-arm jackleg? (as he so eloquently puts it). He is a carpenter, ably fixing up the Crater property. He performs the miracles of reviving Mrs. Crater?s long-dead Ford (the religious connection reinforced by O?Connor?s characterization of his expression ?as if he had just raised the dead? [151]) and teaching deaf and mute daughter Lucynell to say the word ?bird?. He eschews modern man?s obsession with money and claims that he has a ?moral intelligence? despite his physical shortcomings. By emphasizing his focus on the spiritual nature of life, Tom succeeds in marrying the daughter and receiving money from Mrs. Crater.
Deceitful,dishonest, disloyal: these words describe the shady characters presented in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” by Flannery O’ Connor. In this short story, Shiftlet tries to con an old lady in order to obtain her automobile. By this , the man drives away from his salvation due to his selfishness and hypocritical personality. O'Connor master uses of dark humor reveals to the reader the truth that lays underneath the words of Shiftlet. The beautiful use of color blends with the dark sense of humor by foreshadowing the tragic events that in consequence happens when having a sinful personality. With the punchline at the end, the reader soon sees O’Connor message behind the rain clouds by deciphering the man actions in relation with the stormy weather. O'Connor warns what happens when we try to escape redemption by the use of color that represents every aspect of the story, the representation of symbols to reveal the personality of Shiftlet, and the dark humor that drives the story.
Flannery O’Connor was an American author who often wrote about characters who face violent situations. These situations force the characters into a moment of crisis that awakens or alters their fate. Her short stories reflect her Roman Catholic faith and frequently discuss questions of morality and ethics. O’Connor’s Catholic upbringing influenced most of her short stories, often accumulating criticism because of her harsh portrayal of religion. O’Connor incorporates the experience of a moment of grace in her short stories to contribute to the meaning of her works and to represent her faith.
William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” employs indirect characterisation to create a detailed picture of not only Emily but also of the narrator. While she is described in seemingly direct ways, the comparison between the vision of her in the past and her present appearance reveals further characterization than the descriptors themselves. When she is young and pure to the town, she appears as “a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background” (page 767). She is almost granted an angelic aura by her virginity, and when the town believes she has lost it her image it is turned entirely on its head. They see her as tarnishes and no longer consumable or fit to find a man. She is no longer svelte and desirable, but a “small, fat woman in black” (page 765). The transformation of Emily from slender to fat, and a white dress to a black dress mirrors that of the marriage set’s tarnishing. Emily’s
Religion is a big influence in Flannery O 'Connor 's writing. “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” stresses the idea of good and evil. This can also be viewed at the evil in Christ. The story is set in the early 1900s. “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” begins with a woman and her disabled daughter sitting on their porch and she notices a man walking towards their home. The man, Mr. Shiftlet, sees an old car that he wants. The old woman, Lucynell, is also craving something and takes the opportunity to achieve it. By her use of symbols, imagery, and irony, she reveals that there is corruption within Christ.
Flannery O’Connor believed in the power of religion to give new purpose to life. She saw the fall of the old world, felt the force and presence of God, and her allegorical fictions often portray characters who discover themselves transforming to the Catholic mind. Though her literature does not preach, she uses subtle, thematic undertones and it is apparent that as her characters struggle through violence and pain, divine grace is thrown at them. In her story “Revelation,” the protagonist, Mrs. Turpin, acts sanctimoniously, but ironically the virtue that gives her eminence is what brings about her downfall. Mrs. Turpin’s veneer of so called good behavior fails to fill the void that would bring her to heaven. Grace hits her with force and
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.
O’Connor borrowed these characteristics from her life and used them in the complex characters she would later create. Her Catholic faith is another point that drove O’Connor’s writing, especially given that she grew up in a Protestant-majority region. “Flannery O'Connor put much conscious thought into her dual role of Catholic and fiction writer” (Galloway). Her devout faith plays a huge role in her writing, as most of her characters grapple with salvation and grace. O’Connor’s influences in life were so powerful, they became the same topics that impacted her philosophy in writing.
The author of As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner, really contributes to the aspects of literature through his ability to tell a seemingly incredible story through only the “stream-of-consciousness” technique. Faulkner takes his insight beyond the piece, through other’s views and thoughts. Although the characters might be acting differently upon each subject or handling each action in opposite ways, the tone and theme that he uses really brings the whole piece to a perfect balance. In As I Lay Dying, Faulkner displays contradicting elements through the reactions of the family members towards the mother’s death with the use of dialogue, tone, imagery, and internal conflict.
Faulkner uses syntactical strategies throughout his speech to assist him in communicating his message to his audience. In the third paragraph he emphasizes a syntax device known as anaphora, when stating, “He must learn them again… He much teach himself… He writes not of love…He writes not of the heart…”.The anaphora helps Faulkner be effective in his argument by the repetition of words to help him get his view of things across to the audience. To also succor his effectiveness he uses polysyndeton, which is used to draw the audience’s attention therefore adding the effect of persistence and intensity to help keep his audiences attention, making his speech effective. An example of polysyndeton is when he declares “love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice” This quote helps signify that authors need to write from their soul and
Crater and her daughter, lives. Lucynell, a girl who cannot talk and cannot hear properly, is taken care of by Mrs. Crater. Mrs. Crater persuades Tom Shiftlet to work for their farm and to repair their car and tells him that she is able to feed Tom but is unable to pay him with money. As some time passes, Tom fixes the car and does some significant amount of work. Mrs. Crater offers Tom to marry Lucynell and Tom agrees in the condition that he gets some money. Lucynell and Tom Shiftlet go on a honeymoon, and during their travel they visit a small restaurant where Tom abandons Lucynell. As he travels, feeling lonely, he picks up a hitchhiker. He talks to the boy about being good, but the boy curses and gets out of the car. After the boy gets out the car Tom starts to pray to god as he seems to drive to run away from someone or
The narrators alternate, showcasing the fluctuating levels of coherence, understanding and emotional strength. The dialect differs from character to character and the language each character uses, varies on level of intensity and subjectivity. Each character’s speech varies from being confessional to teetering on the line of awareness and consciousness. The characters each have their own view on life and on the way Addie Bundren lived her life: through these alternate character’s eyes, we can piece together the bits and pieces of Addie’s life, death and the haulage of her decaying body to Jefferson. The narrative seems to be fragmented however, it also exhibits a type of unity. The story takes place over the course of a few days yet the differing “sub-plots are logically and skillfully interwoven” (Ross 309). Faulkner forces the reader to see the narrative from multiple perspectives.