Faulkner’s utilization of multiple narrators and multiple viewpoints to develop and establish the story is similar to Eliot’s “The Waste Land”. I felt that by having multiple narrators, it allows the author to give more depth to the story and allows for deeper character development. In “The Waste Land” the multiple voices let Eliot portray the situation in that place was universal, all the voices had little or no hope and were suffering even if they didn’t know it. The same was true of in “As I Lay Dying”. We are allowed into each character to see what they’re doing, saying and thinking. In turn, we see the Bundren’s journey and in a more complete way. In Darl’s last part we see that he has lost his mind through his thoughts, we don’t have to rely on Cash’s account of when he is taken away. Both “The Waste Land” and “As I Lay Dying” could have been told from a single perspective, but the fullness and authenticity of the story would have been lost with such a narrow view. …show more content…
In the poor south allowances are made to the Bundren’s that would not be extended in an urban setting. The fact that the Bundren’s are of a lower class, backward, and rural, makes their behavior, although disturbing to others, plausible. Class and the judgment that goes along with it have been themes in most of the readings we have done. To the opposite, in “A Lost Lady” Carter portrayed the higher rural class and the unachievable and unwanted expectation placed on Mrs. Forrester by others. Mrs. Forrester actions after Mr. Forrester’s death cause her to be judged and dismissed as less a person, so too are the Bundren’s. Their Journey and it trials seem to fit with what people expect form them. Anse’s eternal pessimism only add to his image and social
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Maycomb is described as a ‘tired old town’. This tells the reader that Maycomb and its justice system are set in their old-fashioned ways. Similarly, in Jasper Jones, the red dirt, Australian wildlife and run down buildings show that Corrigan is also a ‘tired old town’. This mise en scene serves as a background as Jasper is manhandled by the police, further showing the prejudiced justice systems. By showing us the rural towns of the texts, Lee and Perkins are able to portray the systemic prejudice present.
In today’s world, there is a stereotype of the typical Southern woman who always has her hair and nails done to perfection, kind, and is the ideal wife. However, Drewitz-Crockett goes on to argue that “people praised a woman by saying she is a fine woman and a hard worker, back in twentieth century.” Back then, work was appreciated, whether that entailed household chores, child birth, or farm work––that is how Robert Morgan portrays Julie Richards in his novel, Gap Creek. In Robert Morgan’s novel, Julie Richards is represented as strong, hardworking, and knowledgeable about her surroundings in South Carolina.
Lizabeth’s “world had lost its boundary line. [Her] mother, who was small and soft, was now the strength of the family; [her] father, who was the rock on which the family had been built on” was comparable to “a broken accordion” and she did not know “where [she] fit” amongst “this crazy”, all she felt was “bewilderment and fear” (Collier 11). Lizabeth lost hope, a beacon of prosperity. Her innocence blinded her to a reality in which life was not perfect. Her beliefs were contradicted by reality and Miss Lottie.
The differences that arise between older and younger generations are often lifelong and tragic. In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Anse’s unorthodox views are at odds with almost everyone else’s views, including the views of his family members, such as Darl’s, Jewel’s, and Dewey Dell’s. Throughout the entire book, Anse’s main goal is to travel to Jefferson, Mississippi, in order to bury his wife there, as this was his wife’s wish.
Porter’s and Faulkner’s stories both share the same theme of hopelessness. Each story begins with a situation that seems very hopeless in terms of reviving in any way. Porter’s story begins with poor
In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Faulkner shows how quickly a person's identity can change depending on the circumstances each person is confronted with through Jewel’s cold and reserved behavior that greatly opposes his significant love for his mother. Jewel is seen as insensitive and heartless but when he shows his resentment toward Cash’s insistence on constructing Addie’s coffin right outside her window, he felt as if Cash “want[ed] to see her in it”(14) and shows a sense of concern for his mothers well being. Jewel had “taken and gone”(42) without even saying goodbye to his mother and rejecting her love shows that the difficulty in pinning Jewel down to a single perspective demonstrates the multifaceted nature of his character. Jewel,
Faulkner skillfully imitates the way the mind processes visual images and puts them into words, allowing the reader to be placed inside the character’s head. The point of stream of consciousness is to take the reader through the thinking and perspectives of the character. Each character has a personalized style and language. Since Elizabeth is a child, I chose to use Faulkner’s choppy style, taking the reader step by step through her mental processes. I chose to center my narrative on specific aspects of the story that Faulkner liked to stress, such as Dewey Dell’s abortion and Darl’s insanity.
The last seven sections of William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” tell the ending of the story, beginning as they bury Addie and ending as they are readying to head home. The sections flow together in telling the last day and their departure, concluding their journey with a clear sense of each family member and their mentality after their mother is finally put to rest. The section both opens and ends with Cash’s narration, as he takes over the role of Darl, who used to be the most reliable. Cash opens with Anse getting the shovels from the stranger’s house, and Darl being taken away to the mental asylum.
Faulkner composites a family that is far away from perfect, instead the family members each face a tribulation that connects to the death their mother. With the supporting passages Faulkner demonstrates how the novel, As I Lay Dying fulfill his own vision of the writer’s duty, which is to express the problems by appealing to pathos, introducing relatable problems, and discussing family dynamics. Faulkner fulfills the writer’s duty by introducing problems the writers can relate to. Faulkner inspires readers to write about, “problems of the human heart... with itself which can make good writing...because that is only worth the sweat agony” (Faulkner 14-15).
As I Lay Dying, I gained a deeper understanding of Faulkner’s true identity, which manifests itself in his writing style. In As I Lay Dying, Faulkner uses many different literary techniques in order to effectively communicate his message to the audience. The most prominent artistic style
Meet Mrs. Bundren,’ he says” (261). This hurts me because after putting all the effort to bring his dead-for-nine-days wife back to Jefferson in order to bury her with her family, Anse goes and finds a new wife.
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner In the excerpt from William Faulkner’s Southern novel, As I Lay Dying the author structures his novel through the use of literary features such as allusion, similes a belittling yet humorous tone, concrete imagery and a stream of consciousness style in the passage. Faulkner throughout the passage not only describes Cash’s reserved character and Darls perspective imagination but he also foreshadows the struggle the Bundren’s will go through as they prepare to go on the journey of burying Addie. First, Faulkner has the speaker Darl create a gloomy mood by using similes to display the ambiance in the room. Then Faulkner alludes to the bible and uses concrete imagery to illustrate both the surroundings and Cash’s concentration and determination as he makes his mother’s coffin.
Over the course of the novel, Faulkner explores existential behaviors and questions about the meaning of life and death, as well as trying to understand the purpose an individual has in an irrational world. Characters such as Darl, Addie, and Vardaman all convey existentialistic behavior leaving them to view the world from a different perspective than other characters such as Jewel. Throughout the novel, Addie, Darl, and Vardaman all act differently than Jewel due to their existentialist ideas. Although it is important to understand the world around us, if we become submerged into our own thoughts and try to understand the complex world around us, we might lose ourselves in the process. At the heart of the entire novel is Addie Bundren, as her death and decision to be
By using unconventional plot structure, Faulkner has created a complex method of storytelling to explore the moral shortcomings of Southern values and ethics during the American Civil War through the means of Emily, a character who is socially and mentally trapped in the old
William Faulkner is a complex writer who knows how to set a great pace in his stories. He is also a very flexible writer which allows the openness of many topics to write on because of his unconventional style. In his short story, "A Rose for Emily", you can interpret how times are so different from today. Although it was not during slavery times, things were not much more advance than that. The dominance of gender or social roles shown on women, particularly Miss Emily, may be seen as harsh or unfair.