As I Lay Dying Essay - 1212 Words

William Faulkner’s portrayal of women, Addie Bundren specifically, in As I Lay Dying presents an interesting look into the gender politics of the south in the 1930s. Addie lies at the heart of the novel; yet despite being the heart, her presence for most of the story is as a corpse. Faulkner only gives her one chapter to explain herself; and it is her desire to be buried in Jefferson that sets in motion everything that happens in the novel. There is a profound tension at work between words and Truth her chapter: Addie ascribes no value to words, they are nothing more than dead sounds. And despite her claim that words are â€Å"quick and harmless†, she is tricked by them, and relies on them to take her revenge on Anse. While the word â€Å"sin†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦When Addie has Cash, she realizes that â€Å"living [is] terrible and that this [is] the answer to it† (171). Addie has been tricked by words into the role of wife and mother, thou gh she asked for neither (174). Much of the chapter focuses on Addie’s meditation on the insufficiency of language: â€Å"words are no good; †¦words dont ever fit even what they are trying to say at† (171). Language is incapable of conveying Truth for Addie; words chase â€Å"at† Truth, but never succeed as they are nothing more than â€Å"shape[s] to fill a lack† (172). â€Å"Motherhood† was invented by someone who does not have children; mothers do not care â€Å"whether there [is] a word for it or not† (172). The implication here is that society invents simple words for complex ideas in order ensnare people with labels. to enslave women to a word. She goes on to talk of Anse’s use of the word â€Å"Love†; she does not believe that she needs to use the word with Cash, nor Cash with her; â€Å"Let Anse use it, if her wants to† (172). Again, this statement is unable to tell the reader how Addie feels toward Cash: either she does not need to u se the word because she knows that she and Cash love each other, or she does not need to use it because she feels no love for Cash; the concept of love is just as empty as the word. When Addie becomes pregnant with Darl, she says that at first sheShow MoreRelatedAs I Lay Dying By William Faulkner Essay1475 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"As I Lay Dying† Final Essay In the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, relates to what seems to be the main concern and topic throughout the story, which is the death of Addie Bundren. The long and strange journey to Jefferson County, Mississippi to bury their mothers body seems to undertake the family together. Faulkners technique throughout his story presents individual sections of the characters throughout their thoughts, perspectives or the events taking place throughout the novelRead MoreAs I Lay Dying By William Faulkner1552 Words   |  7 PagesAs I Lay Dying William Faulkner Entry 1 Beginning As I Lay Dying, I am already struggling with the dialect of the novel. This confusion is deepened because I had no prior knowledge of the characters and plot. There are many characters that Faulkner mentions in the first twenty five pages of the novels and so I was trying to connect the characters and find out who was who. Faulkner also constantly refers to Addie as â€Å"she†. This confused me at first because I didn’t know who Faulkner was referringRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s As I Lay Dying1525 Words   |  7 PagesIsolation of Characters in As I Lay Dying As I Lay Dying was an extremely successful novel written by an American author named William Faulkner in 1930. 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The other charactersRead MoreEssay on Critical History of As I Lay Dying3014 Words   |  13 PagesNashia Horne 28 November 2011 English 290 Critical History Assignment Many of William Faulkner’s books, especially ‘As I Lay Dying’ focused on the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. The themes of his and other Southern authors included: a common Southern history, the significance of family, a sense of community and one’s role within it, the Church and its burdens and rewards, racial tension, land and the promise it brings, one’s social class and place, and, sometimes, the use ofRead More Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. 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Throughout the novel, the reader gets an understanding of who Addie Bundren is, but only through other characters’ memories and perceptions of her; excluding the chapter whereRead MoreEssay about Addie Bundren in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying2831 Words   |  12 PagesAddie Bundren in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying Woman is the source and sustainer of virtue and also a prime source of evil. She can be either; because she is, as man is not, always a little beyond good and evil. With her powerful natural drive and her instinct for the concrete and personal, she does not need to agonize over her decisions. There is no code for her to master, no initiation for her to undergo. For this reason she has access to a wisdom which is veiledRead MoreThe Reactions to the Death of Addie Bundren through William Faulkner ´s As I Lay Dying1389 Words   |  6 PagesThe Reactions to the Death of Addie Bundren through William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. 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 â€Å"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 andRead MoreAnalysis Of As I Lay Dying1497 Words   |  6 PagesAs I Lay Dying, is a novel about the death of Addie Bundren and the events that follow to her burial. The story is told through fifteen different perspectives over the course of fifty-nine narrative chapters. William Faulkner gives the reader insight into what each character is thinking and their reactions to the events taking place. Each member of the Bundren family holds their own secrets that they keep from one another. These secrets eventually distance each member from one another over the dura tion