Symbolism In As I Lay Dying By William Faulkner

Faulkner’s Description of Dewey Dell in As I Lay Dying William Faulkner’s phrasing, point of view, and grammar in his polyphonic novel, As I Lay Dying, strategically employs the miserably pessimistic yet juvenile voice of Dewey Dell to characterize her as the novel’s naïve victim. The only surviving female in the Bundren family, Faulkner presents the hardships that Dewey Dell must endure. In addition, as an uneducated girl with no guidance, Dewey Dell experiences an uncertainty in many issues that arise in her life.

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.

This piece is a simpler one based off of the concept that words are unfulfilling to the concepts they represent. In As I Lay Dying, Addie states that words are “just words.” Addie developed a disdain for words as she slowly got more cruel the longer she remained trapped in this family. In a certain passage from As I Lay Dying, Tull and some locals are talking with Cash about Cash’s broken leg. Faulkner gives us two different conversation one is boring and mundane and is the one that was actually spoken, while the other is rich in content and opinion, a much more interesting conversation to have, but is only the thoughts of the men. The words spoken were not the true thoughts of the men and the men hold back their thoughts because they are very

Born in New Albany, Mississippi on Sept. 25th, 1897, Faulkner is one of America’s most celebrated novelist, poet, and short story writer. In contrast to the minimalistic style of his contemporaries, Faulkner often employed “stream of consciousness” into his work and wrote highly emotional, complex, and almost grotesque stories. As I Lay Dying, however, was one of Faulkner’s extreme pieces of literature. Through presenting the stories in the voices of fifteen unique characters, Faulkner was able to offer readers each character’s inner thoughts and emotions. While Darl, for instance, narrates in a storytelling fashion using reminiscences of his past and internal monologues. Dewey Dell, on the other hand, narrates with frantic energy and random thoughts. As we are not simply passive readers of each narrator, he brings up an interesting question: Whose narrative should we trust and whose should we not? Each individual character constitutes only a single part of the big picture, so it is up to readers to decide the credibility of each accounts. However, Faulkner does turn the reader's attention to one character in particular: Darl Bunsen. By contrasting Darl’s omniscience to his supposed insanity,

Falling apart and little hope left, the Bundren family travels together and only weakens their connections with one another. Attaining family love and appreciation,Faulkner alleges, can only occur when the members

Family Dysfunction is the main theme in As I Lay Dying. The reader can see this from the beginning when Cash is building a coffin outside his mother’s window, where she can see it. Surprisingly, Addie does not seem offended of her son building her casket outside the window. Right before she dies, she asks her husband to do her a favor and

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.

Faulkner uses every detail in an abstract manner to paint a vivid image to the reader of the plight she endures. The summer following her fathers' death, the community began the

Who knew a high school dropout would become one of the most well-known authors still known today? Even though William Faulkner did not finish school (“William Faulkner – Biographical”), he certainly knew how to capture a reader’s attention and drop them into a new world with just a pen. The style in which he writes is unique. With only three semesters of college, he was forced to create from nearly a blank slate; college had not brainwashed him in to a repetitive nature with writing a certain way. He was forced to think outside the box and this makes him stand out from other writers. The building blocks of his stories can be derived from his life. If a reader had a collection of his literature, it would not be hard for them to take a guess at what his personal life was like. Faulkner lived an interesting life and incorporated its aspects into his short stories, two of which, “A Rose for Emily” and “Dry September,” have similar characters, symbolism, and themes. Critics have explored the meanings behind his work and thus given readers a better insight.

Unfortunately in some families there are circumstances in which a child must take the role of one or both of the parents in order to ensure the common good of the family. Whether it is abuse, neglect, or death these situations never come about from a good cause. The Bundren family’s situation in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying is no different. After Addie Bundren, the mother, dies, her daughter Dewey Dell is called upon to become the new matriarch. However, other people in the novel make this task more difficult for her. Throughout the novel, numerous male characters take advantage of Dewey Dell’s unfortunate

Each female character in As I Lay Dying question what it means to be a woman, and how it affects their place in society. William Faulkner carefully incorporates issues of sexuality and gender roles into his novel, which were also common themes discussed during the 1900’s. By examining Addie Bundren, Dewey Dell Bundren and Cora Tull one can see that each of their gender roles was clearly defined. All three women search for the meaning of life while exploring ideas of religion and sin. Faulkner shows the expectations placed on women and how it affected each of their individual identities. By using topics such as pregnancy, marriage, motherhood and sex one can easily view As I Lay Dying from a feminist lens, and see the difficulties women faced in the rural south during this time period.

There are many symbols in As I Lay Dying. William Faulkner is known for symbols in his novels. The character’s names in this novel even have a meaning. Although they are hard to decipher, once the symbol is revealed, it makes the novel much more interesting.

In William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying, trying to find and express your identity and individuality amongst a large, dysfunctional family can prove difficult, especially with a society that forces its standards and expectations on you as well. Addie Bundren possessed qualities and viewpoints most others did not. She found words useless while actions are what held real meaning, yet her whole life had seemed to be made up of words. As her dying wish, she asked her husband to perform an action – taking her to Jefferson to be buried. Darl Bundren was considered the queer one among the family.

The conversation to redefine gender roles is often dominated by polarized extremes. In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner explores the social and psychological effects of the traditional southern female gender role with the character Addie Bundren. Through Addie’s narrative, Faulkner presents the struggles of a woman as she lives the oppressive consequences of expressing her sexuality: childbearing and motherhood. The same consequences are reflected in the destruction of the life of Addie’s unwed daughter, Dewey Dell. Through these women’s stories ,Faulkner reveals the damaging effect of institutional patriarchy in women’s lives as storyteller rather than feminist.

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.