Jewels Horse Essay As I Lay Dying Example For Students

Jewels Horse Essay As I Lay Dying Adam CooperCooper 1In one of William Faulkners greatest novels, As I lay Dying, the characters selfishness is revealed. As I Lay Dying is a detailed account of the Bundrens family trek across Mississippi to bury Addie, their wife and mother. As Addie is dying, all the characters go through a different state of emotions, all of which are explained in fifty-nine chapters. An analysis of William Faulkners As I Lay Dying reveals the importance of goals, mishaps, and characters as they look on the death of Addie. During the initial stage after Addies death three main goals are exposed: burying her, getting new teeth for Anse, and getting an abortion for Dewey Dell. According to George Wolfe, Addies section is narrated in tense, cryptic, and expository prose because Addie is a person who has tried to solve some of the basic problems of life and has failed (203). To Cash, his mother is his world, and he does not realize she dies because he is too busy trying to build her a coffin. The family is able to deal with Addies death as a whole, although Vardaman has a harder time, while Dewey Dell is anxious for other reasons all together. According to Warren, Throughout Addies life, she lived with a man that was emotionally dead from the beginning, and it basically killed her (172). Anse was always a selfish man, so, it is no surprise he is ready to get to Jefferson County for his own selfish reasons, his teeth. Dewey Dell is just as anxious to reach Jefferson County to have an abortion. During the Jo urney to Jefferson County, they face mishaps, a flood and a fire, which temporarily keep the family from being able to bury their loved one. The Yoknapatawpha River floods and forces them to use an alternate bridge, this event turns out to be a major mistake, because regardless of the damage done to the bridge by the flood, they cross it. In turn Cash breaks his leg and they almost lose Addie to the river. They also have to buy new mules for the rest of the trip. Before they get to Jefferson, the family spends the night at Gillespies Place. In the middle of the night, the barn catches fire, and Addie is saved by Jewel. Vardaman swears that he saw something, but Dewey Dell tells him not to say a thing. From the beginning to the end, the characters reveal their emotions about the death of Addie. From Darls longest chapter to Vardamans, My mother is a fish, They all feel lost and incomplete without Addie. Warren remarks, Anger, hatred, jealousy, loyalty, reverence, fear- Faulkner creates a panorama as he presents the characters dramatically (290). Anse, being one of the laziest characters, believes that people are put on earth to care for him now. Cash is the oldest of the children. According to Warren, he refers to himself as The builder who sacrifices himself for his family (290). Darl, who is the most complex, yet oddest character, is the most involved. He is confused on how he feels about his mothers death because he was always denied her love. Hillgrass states, He was able to accept that he was the unwanted and motherless child (64). Jewel, who is not Anses child, loves his mother. He is the one who saves her through the flood and the fire. He, by a considerable amount, was his mothers favorite child. Dewey Dell, the only girl, was never close to her mom. She, like her father, only goes to Jefferson County for personal reasons. She can never think of one thing for a long time; her mind jumps from all around. Last, Vardamanm who is the youngest child was not born out of love, but to replace another child. Being the youngest, he is the most affected by his mothers death. He has weird experiences that consist of handling a dead fish, dealing with the death of his mother being caught in the barn, and unable to breathe. The whole family seems to be affected, yet each in his own way. .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .postImageUrl , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:hover , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:visited , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:active { border:0!important; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:active , .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2 .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7a5dcf18bb0f5d14e40654ab21b493c2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independen EssayBryfonski states, The entire structure of As I Lay Dying is dialectical, involving a continual and fructifying movement between inner and outer world (Bryfonki 205). Even though the family has a frustrating time getting to Jefferson County to bury their loved one, the family makes it together and buries Addie. As I Lay Dying is a unique novel, based on the lives of an odd family during the 1900s. It is a bizarre, yet powerful story of a familys struggle to work together to resolve its conflicts. Modern readers can recognize the aspects of the dysfunctional family that Faulkner depicts and learn from the interactions o f the unusual members. A critic remarks Faulkner the humanistic realist is never sensational (Bryfonski) 172-73) As I Lay Dying surely insured Faulkners place in writing history. Bibliography: