APEngLangper711-12

In depth analysis of Addie and her maternal instincts.

Faulkner's use of metaphors to symbolize different stages of death and the stages of death.

focuses on darl and his role in AILD as well as his ability to oversee everything

This source discusses several themes of the novel, including isolation, death, sanity, and identity. Without the role of any decent parent, most of the children evolve into isolated, uncaring characters, who only seek their own self interests. This contrasts sharply with Jewel, who has a caring mother, and ends up sacrificing all that he cares about in order to respectfully (in his opinion) bury his mother.

"Faulkner's use of multiple narrators underscores one of his primary themes: every character is essentially isolated from the others. Moreover, the characters in the novel do not communicate effectively with one another"

This source outlines the themes in As I lay Dying, as well as giving examples. This quote provides an overview of Faulkner's style of using the different characters as narrators in order to further emphasize that the characters do not communicate well.

"The more sensitive characters, especially Addie and Darl, recognize their alienation from others. In particular, Addie is a striking example of someone who both longs to transcend this isolation and stubbornly works to maintain an impenetrable individuality"

This source outlines the theme of isolation in the novel very well. It discusses the characters that recognize the isolation, as well as the isolation that is forced on them by Addie, who wants solitude.

"The most prolific narrator is Darl, the second-oldest son, who has unusual perceptive abilities but is committed to an insane asylum for setting fire to a barn in a futile attempt to end their ridiculous journey, a ten-day ordeal in July without the aid of embalming"

This source provides a short but thorough analysis of the basic themes in the novel. The quote focuses on Darl, and his seemingly insane actions, which also seem very reasonable. This goes along with the theme of sanity vs. insanity.

"The love and devotion Anse ostensibly shows for his wife may be, from his point of view, partly genuine, but his motives are also self-serving. Ironically, Addie had despised him for years, calling him dead and the promise she asked of him, that she be buried with her ancestors, had no meaning for her, except as a cruel and capricious trick"

This source provides a good overview of the novel. It also sums up the whole situation with Anse and Addie and their real motives that drive them, contrary to the standard of love.

once again I can't copy and paste (ugh) but 236 has a lot of good ones about Anse and Addie's character traits and Addie's "journey home"

This article focuses on Faulkner's use of satire and biblical references in As I Lay Dying. His use of fire and water as disasters that the Bundrens must overcome recalls references of biblical stories.

Another one that I can't copy quotes from, but it discusses religion and how it is used ironicly during the course of the Bundrens' lives

I can't copy and paste direct quotes, but the article talks about the irony in the journey they are embarking on, including how the burial is being thought of as a "quest", while there is no ultimate prize nor joy in what they are doing.

"The fact is, many mental disorders have their beginnings in childhood or adolescence, yet may go undiagnosed and untreated for years."

"Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan"

This article discusses mental illness, its causes, its effects, and its treatment. Mental illness often results in a person's inability to cope with normal situations like Darl who is not able to cope with Addie's death in an acceptable way. Darl inability is most likely caused by a poor upbringing from parents like Addie, who hates children, and Anse, who views children as a labor force. Also, Darl's situation is treatable, however no one in the Bundren family bothers to try and help him opting instead to send him to a mental institution, against Darl's will.

"Psychological factors that may contribute to mental illness include: Severe psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent, Neglect, Poor ability to relate to others"

"Certain stressors can trigger an illness in a person who is susceptible to mental illness"

This article discusses mental illness and its causes. Mental illness can result from physical, biological, and psychological factors. Extreme emotion circumstances can also trigger mental illness. This relates to Darl's mental illness in As I Lay Dying. Addie's death triggers Darl's mental illness.

"Adding to a child's shock and confusion at the death of a brother, sister, or parent is the unavailability of other family members, who may be so shaken by grief that they are not able to cope with the normal responsibility of childcare."

"Parents should be aware of normal childhood responses to a death in the family, as well as signs when a child is having difficulty coping with grief. It is normal during the weeks following the death for some children to feel immediate grief or persist in the belief that the family member is still alive. However, long-term denial of the death or avoidance of grief can be emotionally unhealthy and can later lead to more severe problems."

This article explains how children react and deal with grief over the loss of a loved one. This article relates to the confusion and angst Vardaman experiences after the death of Addie. Vardaman experiences shock and confusion over the substantial matter of death and how it applies to his newly deceased mother. No one in the family bothers to explain to him the finality and irreversibility of death. Without guidance, the Bundren family leaves Vardaman to stumble around and form false conclusion such as the belief Peabody killed Addie.

"It gradually becomes clear that each member of the family has an ulterior, selfish motive for wanting to get to Jefferson."

"Irving Howe has pointed out that the novel's central theme is the tension between individual self-definition and the contingency of selfhood upon others, particularly parents and family."

This article is a general overview of As I Lay Dying and the main theme of identity and identity within the family structure. Throughout As I Lay Dying, the selfish motives of each family monopolize the characters' attentions. The characters struggle to find their place within the family and how to communicate their feelings with each other. The most disturbing effect of this inability to form an identity results in the incarceration of Darl in a mental institution.

Robert Sutton remarks that as time has progressed, dying ceremonies are not for the well-being of the deceased but as an emotional clutch for the loved ones of the deceased. What is ironic about As I Lay Dying is the family goes through all of the motions of the typical dying ceremony, yet they do not use each other in their grieving processes.

This article explains the importance of the multiple narrators. Within each narrator lays a different perspective. And within each narrator, lays both a textual voice, unbiased and the voice of the author, and a mimetic voice that describes the feelings of the particular narrator.