communication breakdown

Book Review: As I Lay Dying (1930)

[ 9 / 10 ] Widely recognized as one of William Faulkner's best novels, "As I Lay Dying" is a piercing and moving look at a poor family coping with life and death. In this novel, as with many of his others, Faulkner writes about what he knows - the hard life of the deep South. He created a mythical part of Mississippi known as Yoknapotawpha County, and within this county is where the story of this novel takes place...

The book centers around the Bundren family, one of the poorest families in the county; indeed, they are some of Faulkner's poorest characters in all of his literature. It is a large family - mother, father, four sons, and one daughter - all of which become well-developed characters throughout the course of the book. The premise of the novel is simple and the story is quite limited in scope - Addie Bundren, the family matriarch, is dying. As we enter the story, she is on her deathbed and there is little doubt that she will not last long. After her inevitable passing, the Bundrens transport Addie's body to Jefferson so she can be buried with her birth family - this was Addie's dying wish. However, for a poor family in rural Mississippi, even something as seemingly simple as the burial of the dead comes attached to enormous complications and consequences.

The story is simple because the focus of the book is more on its characters than what they are doing. "As I Lay Dying" is most famous, however, for its writing style. First, it is not typical in the sense that novels are usually told from the perspective of a single objective narrator, usually in the third person. Here, Faulkner chooses to employ multiple narrators - 15 in all - who tell different parts of the story. Some narrators are relied upon more than others, and as you can expect, the style of the narration depends upon the character who is thinking or speaking. In addition, Faulkner often uses a stream-of-consciousness writing technique, where strict literary form is bypassed in order to give a more accurate view of the narrator's psyche.

In all fairness, it is not an easy book to read. Sometimes you just want to curl up and turn off the brain and escape into a story - this is not that kind of book. However, don't get the impression either that this is a book for academia - any open-minded individual (of appropriate age) can read the book, and while some of the finer points might escape some readers, I think anyone can find it to be a worthy read. His cryptic style might cause you to re-read a few passages, or perhaps give some serious thought to what's being said, or even accept that you might not be able to understand what you're reading until you're given more information later. To me, I found this highly rewarding, as the story opened up like a puzzle just waiting to be completed.

Now, on to the characters. The members of the Bundren family are completely distinct: the father Anse is lazy, stupid, and cowardly. You can't help but think that a large portion of the family's problems can be directly attributed to his leadership (or lack thereof). Oldest son Cash is quiet, longsuffering, a devoted carpenter. Darl is the most intriguing of characters, a highly sensitive and contemplative son whose narrations are characterized by descriptiveness and abstract thought. It is his interpretation of events that most readers tend to rely on the most. Next is Jewel, who is most known for his fiery outbursts and love for his horse. The only daughter Dewey Dell spends most of the story troubled by a personal horror which she hasn't revealed to anyone. Finally, youngest son Vardaman is a typical young boy, though his mother's death forces him to spend the entire novel trying to understand life and death. Throughout the novel we see other narrators for brief periods of time, but most of the story we see through the different looking glasses of the Bundren family.

The best word to describe the Bundren's is dysfunctional. Besides the poverty and their isolation from the outside world, internal problems wreck the family harmonic. Anse frustrates everyone with his stupidity and tendency to recite platitudes. Cash is too focused on his work to be emotionally involved with anyone. Jewel seems only capable of fits of rage. Dewey Dell is caged by fear of her secret, and Vardaman is too young to do anything but be a kid. Darl is the most interesting character, because he possesses an intelligence and tacit understanding of all of the other characters; indeed, Dewey Dell and Jewel both despise him because he understands them too well. He is the most connected to all of the others, yet because of this, he is the most isolated from everyone else. Though most of the family (except Anse) commands the reader's sympathy, Darl's story is the most tragic.

Throughout the story, numerous obstacles arise and delay the family in reaching their objective. But the novel is fascinating because it allows you to peer into the psyche of each character, not just to see what they are thinking, but to better understand them through their interpretation of events. Everyone is coping with Addie's death, yet they each manifest their grief in wildly different ways. Addie herself even narrates a chapter from beyond the grave, which is extremely enlightening as to the kind of woman she was.

Some have said that, because of the weaknesses of each of these characters, and the way the family is viewed by outsiders, Faulkner is mocking or deriding Southerners. I think nothing could be further from the truth. While he does have a truly despicable character in Anse, for the most part, you can't help but sympathize with the family. They are poor, coping with death, and racked by unforeseen obstacles. If anything, Faulkner himself is empathetic to their cause and writes more as a tribute than as a critique.

"As I Lay Dying" is a moving look at mortality, poverty, and isolation, among other things. The one thing I did not like about the novel was Faulkner's take on religion - one of his narrators is a devout Christian who comes to be completely discredited and derided throughout the novel. I think he clearly has some strong thoughts on how some people are "blinded" by religion and use it as a crutch or excuse. However, I think his example is extreme and unfair to most religious people in the South. However, in spite of this, it is a fantastic novel. While it might be difficult to navigate, in the end I think you'll find that the chance to journey along with the Bundren's is a special opportunity.