Analysis of "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner

Introduction

The entire novel "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner is filled with great heroic efforts but at the same time seems absurd at times. Anse, the father of the family and the laziest person, should have been the provider, but unfortunately, he was exactly the opposite. He had the mentality of a rich man without any riches or wealth. He is a poor farmer with a hunchback, and he's selfish too. His wife, Addie Bundren, had five children: Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, and Vardaman. Her death triggers the novel's action. She is a former school teacher whose bitter life causes her to take unfortunate actions. She loved and invested all her affection in her favorite child, Jewel, instead of her family and God.

The Journey to Bury Addie

The Bundren family embarks on a journey to bury Addie. Jewel is very close to being considered a hero. He was not traveling for any other motive except burying his mother. He also sacrifices his horse, which was very close to his heart, for the wagon team. Even if he did not know anything, he had a more personal reason to bury his mother Addie away from the farm. In the middle of the mission, they confront water and fire to reach Jefferson, where Addie is to be buried. Their steps in these complications seem heroic, although they come to a point where the consequences of the family's actions appear foolish. The Bundrens' decision to find a new way of crossing the flooded river initially seems sensible until it turns overly dramatic.

An example of this is the part where a log approaches them, and Cash makes a dash for the coffin while injuring his leg. This seemed to be a heroic action of Cash sacrificing his leg and potentially his life for his mother. Meanwhile, Darl claims that his jumping from the wagon to save his life is also somehow saving their family's future. According to me, this action doesn't seem heroic at all; instead, it is somewhat disrespectful and selfish towards his dead mother. However, if we view it differently, Darl's action could be considered heroic as he already knew that his mother was dead, and it was just her body with them, so he tried protecting his family's future by giving it more priority.

Character Analysis

Addie is more of a "villain" than a hero of the story (which may seem obvious, but when we were first reading—before her chapter—I thought for sure that she would be proven compassionate, hardworking, etc.), and the heroism of Anse is questionable. It's interesting to look at Addie as the anti-hero. Initially, I saw her as a hero before I really got to know her, as she had to deal with the many woes of being a Bundren. I pitied her position and felt for her. The way those around her treat her after her death (preparing to take a long journey to Jefferson to bury her) seems like a heartfelt move, which made me feel like Addie cared about the poor, unfortunate Bundrens. I really appreciate that Faulkner didn't resort to typical "hero" tropes. Anse and Addie are human, not elevated by a happy ending for the kids or a heroic twist. The story starts in the middle of one episode with Addie and ends in the middle of another with the new Mrs. Bundren. The narrative (especially the ending) is very original. I believe Cash comes the closest to being a hero. He's much more compassionate than he was at the start of the story, though I agree with you that Jewel is "arguably" a hero as well.

Jewel's Heroic Actions

Furthermore, considering Jewel's heroic actions, I find that breaking the ice by submerging his horse and himself into the river was tremendously dangerous. Jewel performs the most heroic action here. He proves to be willing to sacrifice himself along with his beloved horse just to ensure that his mother's coffin crosses the river safely. He is somewhat the main character of the entire operation. The brothers attempt to keep themselves united while crossing the treacherous river, but they eventually panic and lose track of their actual goal. At the end of the novel, the Bundrens are at the Gillespie farm, and the barn catches fire, once again creating an idiotic commotion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the novel "As I Lay Dying" presents a complex tapestry of characters whose actions oscillate between heroism and absurdity. Faulkner’s narrative challenges traditional notions of heroism and compels readers to question the true motives behind seemingly heroic deeds. Through the journey to bury Addie and the individual actions of family members like Jewel and Cash, Faulkner paints a vivid portrait of human nature, fraught with contradictions and moral ambiguities.

References

Faulkner, W. (1930). As I Lay Dying. New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith.