What are the themes in As I Lay Dying?
As I Lay Dying is not only about mortality insofar as it concerns Addie Bundren’s death. More deeply, the novel explores the theme of mortality by showing each of Addie’s family members, loved ones, and other acquaintances offer unique responses to her death, attempting to make sense of the nature of existence.
What is As I Lay Dying meaning?
The title derives from Book XI of Homer’s The Odyssey, wherein Agamemnon speaks to Odysseus: “As I lay dying, the woman with the dog’s eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.” The novel utilizes stream of consciousness writing technique, multiple narrators, and varying chapter lengths.
What does the journey represent in As I Lay Dying?
The transformation of the family, in particular, Darl’s absence and Anse’s remarriage, seems indispensable for the family continuance in the community moving toward modernization. Ultimately, the roads and the journey in As I Lay Dying elucidate the Bundren family’s relations to their community in transition.
What is William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying about?
As I Lay Dying is Faulkner’s harrowing account of the Bundren family’s odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Narrated in turn by each of the family members — including Addie herself — as well as others; the novel ranges in mood, from dark comedy to the deepest pathos.
What does Addies coffin symbolize in As I Lay Dying?
Addie’s coffin comes to stand literally for the enormous burden of dysfunction that Addie’s death, and circumstances in general, place on the Bundren family.
What does Jewel represent in As I Lay Dying?
Darl’s frequent descriptions of Jewel as “wooden” reinforce the image of Jewel as impenetrable to others, and also establish a relationship between Jewel and the wooden coffin that comes to symbolize his mother.
What does the horse symbolize As I Lay Dying?
Jewel and his horse add a new wrinkle to the use of animals as symbols. To us, based on Darl’s word, the horse is a symbol of Jewel’s love for his mother. For Jewel, however, the horse, based on his riding of it, apparently symbolizes a hard-won freedom from the Bundren family.