As I Lay Dying Analysis

As I lay dying In the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, the obstacles Bundrens suffered are not exact the result of forces being set against them, but instead, they are more sabotaging by what they did. As the last wish of a dying mother, Addie wants to be buried in Jefferson with her relatives. All of the family are committed to be on the journey to Jefferson to accomplish her funeral. But on the way to Jefferson, all the family have suffered various tragedies. Every event happens must have a reason. When they started to complain all the bad things they ever suffered, they totally forgot what they did to cause the tragedies.
Smelly corpse While Vardaman believes that " if Cash nails the box up, she is not a rabbit. And so if she is not a rabbit I couldn't breathe in the crib and Cash is going to nail it up. I saw. They think it is her and Cash is going to nail it up" until this point, Vardamam still can't believe that his mom is dead already and he starts to suspect his brothers killed his mom. Because of his wrong opinion that the difference between human and fish makes him still think his mom is still alive and he wants to rescue his mom. By considering this, Vardamam makes his next ridiculous action. "When they taken the lid off they found out that two of them had bored on her face". Everyone knows nowadays coffin is used for keeping the corpse try and isolated from the air that makes body stay more time. But what he does is really going to ruin his mom body and it's a main reason of what they suffered later. On the way to Jefferson when Cash spits and starts complaining " In a couple of days now it'll be smelling " this tells us the corpse of his mom is going to be smelly. The reason this happens is their mom's coffin has two holes that makes the corpse decay so quickly. The creator of this bad precedent is Vardamam and his innocence makes all the events take place. These points show that the decay of their mom's corpse they meet is very unfortunate but it's more self-sabotaging than density.

The river-crossing "I don't reckon there's ere a bridge between here and Mouth of Ishataea" the main bridge leading over the local river has been flooded or washed away. And they are forced to turn around and found a new way to go across the river. " the boy was watching the bridge where it was mid-sunk and logs and such drifted up over it and it slagging and shivering like the whole thing would go any minute, big-eyed he was watching it, like he was to a circus." This quote shows the danger and instability of the bridge. But what Anse says "if it was just up, we could drive across" insists they would rather try to go though the dangerous bridge instead of waiting. All of Bundrens already know the bridge has been washed so it's obviously dangerous , but they still insist to cross the bridge, the decision they made is really irresponsible to themselves. If they would like to consider more about his family and give up this route and try to find another safer route, this disaster would happen to them. But on the bridge, the coffin is knocked out by been upset by a stray log. All the tools fell down into the river, the team of mules drown. And Cash suffers the most. " 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" from this quote, Cash he told them the coffin has to be balanced , but Jewel and Darl still don't do it. The irresponsible of them causes the coffin to fall over and makes the re-injury of his poor leg which is just injured not long ago. And the coffin almost flouts away. So Cash's injury, drown of mules and missing tools and even more disasters can be seen as adversities but the reasons to cause these disasters show more like they are abrogating themselves.
Barn fire "For an instant longer he runs silver in the moonlight, then he springs out like a flat figure cut leanly from tin against an abrupt and soundless explosion as the whole loft of the barn takes fire at once, as though it had been stuffed with powder" this show the barn fire grows instantly and the coffin is still in the barn and by the time Jewel risks his live to rescue the coffin. The corpse is almost incinerated. " it was Darl put it on" The reason Darl wants to burn the corpse is because he is against burying his mom's decayed corpse in the Jefferson. His thought is good but he should not show his opinion in burning the body this way. He is reflected to those failures who have the right thoughts but executed in the wrong ways. If he told his family that the body is almost decayed, it would be very disrespectful to his mom to be buried as a decay body, they should bury her as soon as possible, it would be much sane and responsible to his family. But instead, what he did, to his family, his action enrages them. They though Darl is already insane because of his wired actions. And also they try to escape from the court of burning the barn. So they put him into an insane asylum . So Darl is much sabotaging himself by his wrong way to approach his thought.
Lose of leg As Cash's leg is turning dark, the horse doctor sets up his leg saying "I reckon we'll have to bust the leg off". Cash faints without complaining. He didn't go to the doctor when his leg was re-injured in the river. Then the condition is getting worse and worse. And he never complain about his broken leg until his leg can not move. This does not make other people know when he needs the medical supports. And his family have more responsible for this. But since his dad is so mean he even takes anything from his children, he would not have any support until his leg really turns into black and have it cut. Then his dad lost his oldest son leg because of his stingy and carelessness. So this point also shows that what Cash and Bundrens did are really sabotaging themselves. Abortion When Dewey goes into the city to get the abortion, she is tricked and raped By the drugstore owner. The reason why she is tricked is she doesn't have money. Her father took the precious ten dollars from her which is for the abortion. If her dad had a little more compassion and helps his only daughter, she wouldn't be tricked and keep a baby without a husband. She later comes back to her home living a worse life. Her father's greed really makes this disaster happen. So this point shows this is not the force against them, but they are sabotaging themselves. By reaching these points, all these disasters happen to the Bundrens have origins and what they were doing cause the suffering to himself or others. So the obstacles they suffered are not exact the reason of force been against them, but instead, they are more like sabotaging themselves.