William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner “She would tell me what I owed to my children and to Anse and to God. I gave Anse the children. I did not ask for them. I did not even ask him for what he could have given me: not-Anse. That was my duty to him, to not ask that, and that duty I fulfilled. I would be; I would let him be the shape and echo of his world. That was more than he asked because he could not have asked for that and been Anse, using himself so with a word” (Faulkner, 174). In the novel, As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, there are many passages that tend to be perplexing and difficult to understand, if not read closely by the reader. Although there are many passages in the novel that are compelling, the passage expressed by the deceased …show more content…
At the beginning of the passage where Addie said, “She would tell me what I owed my children to Anse and to God” (Faulkner, 174), she was referring to Cora. She felt that Cora was trying to control her life and tell her how it should be for a married woman. Although Addie didn’t agree on Cora’s ideas, she didn’t give her opinion to her about how she felt. Cora would even tell Addie that she wasn’t a true mother but Addie would think of her words as “quick and harmless” as she spoke (Faulkner, 173). Moreover, when Addie spoke about Anse and the children, she said that she never wanted them. Anse primarily forced Addie to have children so they could help with the essential farm duties just like any other basic family in the south in this time period would do. Additionally, out of all her children she birthed, the only one she cared for was Jewel. The affair she engaged in with Whitfield was the only time she found love in her life, and Jewel reminded her of that time of serenity. Throughout the book, the reader views Addie as a peaceful and innocent character while her children and husband are viewed as apathetic. In reality, Addie was a selfish individual because of the acts she explained in her chapter. Not to mention, there was another part of the passage where Addie elucidates her disinterest in Anse by saying, “I did not even ask
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As I Lay Dying Chapter 51
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Addie Bundren In As I Lay Dying
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Insanity In As I Lay Dying Essay
1339 Words | 6 PagesKnowledge at the Price of Insanity Throughout William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying, Darl Bundren is never able to have a complete way of identifying himself and experiences an increasing detachment from his family during their trip to bury their dead mother, Addie. . In an attempt to make everything better Darl sets the barn on fire. An act he believes to be very practical, but others see as insane. The connection is completely severed when he is sent away to an asylum in Jackson because of his attempt to end the nightmare journey he and his family were on.
Betrayal In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
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Allegory In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
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166 Words | 1 PagesThroughout his novel As I Lay Dying William Faulkner demonstrates how one selfish act can be the source of pain and suffering for many. Faulkner utilizes symbolism and point of view to express the burdens each of the Bundren’s carry and the toll it takes on them. Anse enforces Addie's wish to be buried in Jefferson, “His mind is set on taking her to Jefferson” (Faulkner 86), but moving her after her death causes the Bundren's to endure unnecessary hardships. The coffin that carries her becomes a physical burden that is a symbol of the family’s grief, and their own separate problems making the trip to Jefferson necessary and painful.
Female Characters In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
721 Words | 3 PagesShe is the one female character that challenges the standard of a southern, rural woman. Unlike Cora she isn’t obedient to her husband nor God. She cheated on her husband, Anse, with a minister and isn’t sexually satisfied by Anse. Addie isn’t happy with the traditional way of life of having a husband and kids, “So I took Anse. And when I knew that I had Cash, I knew that living was terrible…”
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