As I Lay Dying Symbolism Essay

Symbolism in As I Lay Dying The 1930 Southern Gothic novel, As I Lay Dying, is rich in allegories– a narrative that is used to reveal a hidden message or meaning. William Faulkner's acclaimed novel is so plentiful in these that when analyzed could more than likely make another novel; however, this essay will only be discussing one of the many uses. The allegory in this discussion is about symbolism through the animals. When first reading the novel the audience might believe that the animals have no meaning, they were just there, but this viewed use of animals is mistaken. To understand the true meaning of these symbols one must be able to dig deep and connect context clues to the traits of the characters. Faulkner uses a horse, fish, buzzard,

54). He makes this statement after the death of Addie Bundren. Vardaman understands that the fish and his mother are much alike due to the state they are in after death. After Addie dies it is described that her body is decomposing as well as deformed from the drilled holes which are in her head. The fish and Addie have both changed from their original living state, Varadaman states, “It is cut into pieces of not-fish now, not-blood on my hands and overalls” (p. 36). Before he concludes that his mother is a fish, he first observes how the fish was cut and changed just like his mother is

In section fourteen of the novel Dewey begins to treat the animal like her family does her, “You’ll just have to wait. What you got in you ain’t nothing to what I got in me, even if you are a woman too” (p. 41). She ignores the cow just like her family ignores her, but during this section, she begins to sympathize with the cow because she understands what the cow is going through, unlike the rest of her family who does not sympathize with the animal.

Next, the mules represent the Bundren children. The mules are used to completing work just like the children; Anse makes them complete all of his work because he is lazy. Anse gives them commands, “Come up, mules” (p. 121). Mules are commonly used for work, when Anse states this he is talking about the children because they are his mules. He believes that he can not work because he will die, so he puts all the weight and work on his chidren, like