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As I Lay Dying Research Paper

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Identifying the Key Elements of a Classic Novel in the narrative As I Lay Dying

Throughout the years, many authors publish great novels for the world to read and enjoy. Though, very few are considered to be "one of the greats", or in other words, a classic novel. "What is a classic novel?", some may ask. A classic novel is ____. With many unforgettable classic novels out there for us to explore, I have chosen As I Lay Dying for this year's course because it depicts the ideal standards of a classic novel by portraying emotion, connecting with the reader, and leaving room for thought.

Some might argue that there are other classic novels that will be a better fit for the program, such as Lord of the Flies. However, As I Lay Dying can connect …show more content…

Throughout, As I Lay Dying many different emotions come into context. We especially see the emotion of sadness and loneliness, and how it impacts Jewel. "Jewel's mother is a horse." (Darl pg. 31 pdf). From the beginning, we immediately recognize that Jewel is an outcast, being that Anse is not his biological father. When Addie dies, we see how her death especially affected Jewel, and how he copes with her loss by giving all his affection towards his horse. This is made known to us when Jewel trails behind the rest of his family on the horse instead of on the wagon. Jewel was not the only family member to struggle throughout the novel. Dewey Dell not only dealt with the loss of her mother, but also with an unwanted pregnancy. She is now the only girl in the family of boys, and cannot talk to anyone about her situation. She is afraid, and her attempts of getting an abortion have failed three times. While many of the other characters struggled to cope with the loss of Addie, Anse on the other hand shows little to no emotion. "But now I will get my teeth...That will be a comfort. It will" (Anse 35 pdf). One would think it is because a man holds in their emotions, but in this case, Anse was being selfish, lazy, and cheap, especially in his desire for new

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