William Faulkner As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
The classic 1930 Novel by William Faulkner, “As I Lay Dying” is a demonstration of the evolution of modernist literature that incorporates an in-depth psychological aspect. The psychoanalytic novel displays the intricacy of the human psyche by attempting to unravel what lays in human minds. The novel presents an emotionally, psychologically and physically distressing journey of a family characteristic by selfishness as they embark. The novel entails a critical inquiry of the psychoanalysis of human minds and their response to tribulations. The novel’s richness in human emotions echoes human nature of self-centeredness that results in divergence in human behavior.
Group dynamisms is vividly and richly drawn in the novella which covers multiple psychological complexities by the characters. The story is narrated in multiple perspectives and covers several human complexities that include characters psychological development, mechanisms of defense and the mourning dynamics. The novella incorporates the inevitability of anguish and grief to define the values of human existence. The context of the novel as an expedition of tragedy and tribulations by the fictional Bundren Family in a fictious Yoknapatawpha County, as they embark to take their deceased wife and mother Addie to her home town, Jefferson. The novel features incongruities in response to bereavement and spectrum of human emotions.
Self-centeredness and insensitivity are a paradoxes that feature throughout the plot. The family begins deliberation of the mother’s demise, coffin and burial while she is still on her deathbed even while they are uncertain of her death. Superficially, the family is remorseful and intends to accord Addie her wishful burial, but a deeper synthesis reveals other ulterior motives that energize the family’s desire to go to Jefferson. As the Bundren’s share the burden of grief, the family is by large inclined to the larger context opportunity that comes with the demise of their mother and wife, and subsequent burial in Jefferson. The eldest son Cash constructs a coffin for his dying mother Addie just outside the window, “lying there with her head propped up so she could watch Cash building the coffin.” While the oldest child Cash posits that the mother derives more value from the coffin construction as opposed to spending time with his dying mother, his motive is driven by the materialistic need to demonstrate his carpentry skills, make money and look for the gramophone. Moreover, Cash’s motive to save the drowning coffin is the desire to recover his work tools in the coffin. Ostensibly, the family settles on traveling to Jefferson to bury their mother, but with other ulterior motives.
The family members display divergent perspective and obsessions which symbolizes uniqueness in our modern society. Although Addie’s husband Anse insist on taking his deceased wife to Jefferson since it’s her wish, he admits his desire to procure a new set of teeth. The daughter’s desire to travel to Jefferson is driven by the need to procure an abortion, while the last born child Vardaman motive is powered by the obsession to get a toy train. Arguably, for Addie’s only daughter, Dewey Dell, her motive is solely selfish as she is absorbed in her pregnancy predicament which is evident in her loud thinking “I heard that my mother is dead. I wish I had time to let her die”. Exceptionally, Darl embarks on the journey to ensure the mother gets a burial while simultaneously tracking the family’s actions. Unlike the rest of the Bundrens, Jewel, a son of Addie and Mr. Whitfield, a local minister, he desires to be apart from his family, hence his desire to travel to Jefferson. Surprisingly, Addie reveals her selfish wish to spend her eternity as far as possible from the Bundrens to avenge the depression she suffered after Darl’s birth. The introduction of Addie after her demise is puzzling a feature Faulkner incorporates to keep the reader captivated.
The novel demonstrates that response to psychological pain is divergent across individual. The family counters their grief in varied ways. Cash respond to the loss by absorbing himself to work. Cash reaction to the mother’s illness and sickness demonstrates a well-adjusted person with maturity and understanding. The reaction by cash is arguably related to the stable loving relationship Cash and Andie had where Cash didn’t define himself by his mother but rather by his work. Cash sees life in a good light. While the rest of the members delve on existential questions due to their constrained relationship with their deceased mother, Cash concentrates on his work highlighting Cash’s strong psychological foundation.
 Faulkner links grief to human relations in the novella. Darl’s reaction to the death echoes relationship as the foundation of the human psyche. Contrary to Cash stable reaction to Addie’s death, Darl’s reaction is extensively unstable and concludes with insanity and asylum. Darl is obsessed with the death which stems from marginalization and lack of maternal affection. Consequently, Darl if full of existential questions which are echoed by the uncertainty of Darl’s personal identity. Darl’s uncertainty of his identity is demonstrated by the monologue, “In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, you are not. And when you are filled with sleep, you never were. I don't know what I am. I don't know if I am or not.” Moreover, Darl’s siblings violently attack and victimize him demonstrating a total family breakdown in the advent of grief.
The novella demonstrates the incidence of trading of blame between the members of the group. Cash faults his siblings for the coffin’s fall as evident in Cash words, “It wasn't on a balance. I told them that if they wanted it to tote and ride on a balance, they would have to”. Tragedy further strikes when the town bridge is destroyed by storm forcing the Darl and Cash to walk across the river with the wagon carrying Addie’s coffin. Unfortunately, a floating log hits the wagon dragging the coffin into the water. The journey is consistently characterized by other tragedies such as Cash’s leg injury which the blame is traded across the family. But as Faulkner walks the reader into the journey of relating to bereavement, he signals perseverance grief. Irrespective of the series of grotesque disasters along the journey, the Bundrens accord Addie burial. The novel demonstrates that the family remains united even after the indifferences following the demise of Addie. Perhaps one of the comical features of the novel is the radical conclusion with Anse remarrying shortly after burying Addie.
Faulkner uses stream-of-consciousness narration by endeavoring to extract the character’s consciousness. For example, Vardaman demonstrates his consciousness of bewilderment in the monologue “My mother is a fish.” The opening up of the character’s mind by recording the character’s flow of thoughts create an ample foundation for a psychological analysis. The multiple narrations approaches in the novel enable the readers to maneuver the minds of the characters helping in understanding the different perspectives of the characters. By constantly switching the plots, Faulkner captivates the reader’s interest. The narrative entails the use of symbolic languages such as a coffin symbol as opposed to using the word coffin and blank space symbolizing the character. Throughout the narration, Faulkner centers the discourse on the dynamism of human life entailing individual, family, society and death themes.


References
Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying: The Corrected Text. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print