Social Classes In As I Lay Dying

When Dewey Dell first comes to mind, she is first characterized as feeble-minded. Throughout the book, whenever Dewey Dell would talk, it could be seen that she still had a young mind and she was very slow when it came down to everyday things in life. For example, “He is a big tub of guts and I am a little tub of guts and if there is not any room for anything else important in a big tub of guts, how can it be room in a little tub of guts”(Faulkner, 58). Although this quote is a mouth full, it represents how Dewey sees things or how she is able to express them. With this quote, it becomes evident that she is pregnant, but the way she talks and thinks brings realization that she is not ready for the child.

Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache use their film The Intouchables (2011) to manipulate their audience in relation to a contrast between a stereotypical black and white social class. The directors cast Omar Sy as Driss, who is of Senegalese descent, since he is in stark contrast to his employer Phillipe who is a white French aristocrat. This film is based on a true story and the individual who was originally Philippe’s caretaker was Abdel Sellou and was of Arabic ethnicity. Omar Sy is of Senegalese descent and therefore has darker skin than Abdel, making the racial differences between him and Phillipe more prominent and observable. This contrasting theme is present throughout the film, and is particularly evident in three scenes that crystallise the directors’ key idea of the contrast between two different social classes. The scenes include ‘the paragliding’, ‘Driss’s interview’, and the introduction of Phillipe and ‘Driss’s house scenes’. Toledano and Nakache uses film techniques such as mise-en-scène, lighting, sound track, dialogue, musical score, camera techniques and angles throughout these scenes to manipulate the audience in relation to the black and white contrasting social class

So much of what one learns about love is taught by people who never really loved in return. That was the case for the perturbed Dewey Dell and the relationship obtained with her mother Addie Bundren. Dewey Dell, the only daughter of Addie, is left alone to discover the social constructions that Addie went through. Addie, as a mother, is hardly ever represented and she never proclaims her “love” for her daughter. Through Dewey Dell’s future motherhood, language, and sexuality, she undergoes conflictions and discoveries without the help of her mother. Dewey Dell’s character signifies the defilement of future female generations living in a patriarchal society. Faulkner uses the disconnected relationship between Dewey Dell and Addie to demonstrate

Exploring the Layers of Maternity and Southern Womanhood in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying presents a broken family whose members are not all sound of mind. They all present different ways in which their sense of self can be viewed as broken. Even though there is no forefront hero depicted within the novel there is definitely evidence that suggests that some of the heroes are capable of heroic characteristics. Though there is rampant selfishness and immorality some redeeming qualities of the Bundren family shine through.

Epictetus said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” William Faulkner explored this idea, among others, in his novel, As I Lay Dying, which follows the Bundren family on their trek to Jefferson. Michael Arndt’s screenplay, Little Miss Sunshine, explores similar themes and follows the Hoover family on their road trip to California. In both cases, everything during the journey goes wrong which tests the relationships of the family members.

It is stated, “It was merely a nondescript collection of houses and buildings in a region of farms- one of those sad American places with sidewalks, but no paved streets; electric lights, but no sewage; a station but no trains that stopped…And it was 150 miles from any city at all (Hughes, 3).” Even though Cora was a relying, humble and hard working women she was unaccepted to white society. Cora was only seen for her labor. It is stated, “Cora iron my stockings, Cora come here… Cora, put… Cora… Cora… Cora! Cora! (Hughes, 4).” At a very young age colored people had to work for a living. On the other hand white society had an education and a far better future. Therefore, the circumstance of working with unpleasant superior was not discussed. Any job at the time was appreciated. Throughout the years that Cora worked with the Studevants she fell in love and had a child. At this time contraception or birth control was illegal. Even though Cora was looked down by society she had no shamed and became a proud mother. Unfortunately, due to the lack of medical assistance her child died from whopping cough. The years passed and the Studevants had a child named Jessie which Cora nursed and treated her as a daughter. When Jessie was in high school she experienced Cora’s situation, pregnant and unmarried. On one side Cora advise to have the child and become a proud mother just like her, but the mother disagreed she viewed this situation

This short story clearly shows how different people live and struggle in the society. Human beings are always in a dilemma of making decisions. The story tries to demonstrate the struggle between the rich and the poor in the community. Faulkner has structured the story in a way that it depicts the emotional despair of both the protagonist and antagonist. What the story entails is a complete comparison of different societies from diverse life angles.

Despite the fact that human beings are oftentimes reluctant to admit it, it is a fact of life that one of the most fundamental aspects of human nature is self-interest. Selfishness pervades everyday life, no matter what efforts are made to deny and rationalize its existence. In the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, the unique method handling the death of Addie that each character uses exemplifies the inherent selfishness apparent in human nature and outlines the various emotions that accompany the death of a loved one.

No matter where you go in the world people are divided. They can be divided by their wealth or state of living these are social classes. In the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton social classes a very apparent the rich and the poor. In The Outsiders, social classes create a divide in the community. The isolation of these two groups lead to the tension and violence that is seen in the book.

No matter where you go in the world, people are divided. They can be divided by their wealth or state of living these are social class. In the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton social classes a very apparent the rich and the poor. In The Outsiders, social classes create a divide in the community. The isolation of these two groups leads to the tension and violence that is seen in the book.

Cash seems to think that Dewey Dell has a connection with Darl because they share a knowingness. Although, it becomes clear, after she is the first to jump on him when being taken away to Jackson, that she isn’t partial to Darl because he knows her secret. Dewey Dell’s secret is also the reason that she wants to go to Jefferson. She finds herself pregnant and seeks out an abortion. Dewey Dell pregnancy causes her to hide other things from her family as a result, when Anse ask her if she got the money in a wrongful way, her reply is that it isn’t hers. She also told everyone the package was Cora Tull’s cakes to sell, when it was her Sunday clothes. While Dewey Dell may seem selfish throughout the story, as the sole girl she has to take care of everyone and her situation doesn’t allow her much time to even grieve Addie. This is displayed when Dewey Dell thinks, “I heard that my mother is dead. I wish I had time to let her die.”

In the same scene as the death, Anse is extremely ignorant toward her feelings. Dewey Dell lays on Addie, overcome with sadness, and her father responds with “I reckon you better get supper on” (30). Her mother had just died and she is obviously in need of some support yet Anse completely disregards her emotions. He puts his own wants and needs before his daughter’s. These characteristics prove he is unfit as a father and does not truly love his children. Later in the novel, when the family is in Jefferson, Anse discovers Dewey Dell’s money and claims he can take custody of it. After interrogating her about where the money is from, what it is for, and why she will not give it to him, Anse says to her: “It’s just a loan. God knows, I hate for my blooden children to reproach me. But I give them what was mine without stint. Cheerful I give them, without stint” (147). Later we discover after Anse took the money from Dewey Dell, he bought himself new teeth, satisfying one of his own motives for traveling to town (148-149). Anse is expressed not only as an insufficient father but also as a hypocrite. He continually takes from Dewey Dell yet demands much of her as the new matriarch of the Bundren family. However, Dewey Dell does not cease in helping the family. Even though she does not want to be a mother, as shown with her abortion, she takes care of her brothers, especially Cash and Vardaman. When Cash breaks his leg while traveling to Jefferson, Dewey Dell is often depicted caring for him. On numerous occasions, Darl notes that he observes her wiping Cash’s mouth and asking him what he needs (105). She remains in the back of the wagon with him in order to ensure he has someone to meet his requests. These actions reflect those of a mother. While Addie did not act in this way, often beating her children when they made a mistake, Dewey Dell works hard so her family

From the start the novel is laden with the pressures that the main characters are exposed to due to their social inequality, unlikeness in their heredity, dissimilarity in their most distinctive character traits, differences in their aspirations and inequality in their endowments, let alone the increasingly fierce opposition that the characters are facing from modern post-war bourgeois society.

William Faulkner’s unconventional writing style is widely renowned for his disregard of literary rules and his keen ability to peer into the psychological depths of his characters. His novel As I Lay Dying is no exception to his signature style. This book sets forth the death of Addie Bundren, her family’s journey through Yoknapatawpha County to bury her with her relatives in Jefferson, Mississippi, and examines each character in depth from a variety of perspectives. While this journey wreaks havoc among members of the family, As I Lay Dying serves as a dark reminder that life is to be lived and that happiness is within reach.