As I Lay Dying Studyguide
AS I LAY DYING, William Faulkner Questions for Study
1. Which are the most intelligent and sympathetic voices in the novel? With whom do you most and least identify? Is Faulkner controlling your closeness to some characters and not others? How is this done, given the seemingly equal mode of presentation for all voices?
Darl is the most intelligent voice in the novel. He often seems to play the role of omniscient narrator, because he describes events that took place when he was not present. For example, he describes Addie’s death, even though he was not with her when she died. Darl appears to be the character that knows the most about what is going on and has the most consistent voice in the novel.
The character that seems to be the most sympathetic is Jewel. The clearest example of his sympathy is demonstrated in his unwillingness to leave Addie when she was on her death bed. His desire to be with his mom makes Jewel stand out as the most sympathetic character, because basically all of the other siblings just wanted to make money, and did not care or pay much thought to their mother’s death.
Faulkner seems to be controlling the closeness of some characters. For instance, as mentioned, Darl and Jewel are the most intelligent and sympathetic characters. Darl is the most common narrator and Jewel shows his caring side when he wants to be with his mother. These instances make the reader connect with them more than the other characters in the novel. The other characters are first introduced with things that are not as relatable or even as likeable. The worst instance of this is how Anse is introduced sawing his mother’s coffin. This action makes the reader believe that Anse is devoid of showing the proper emotion in the time of his mother’s death, because he was making Addie’s coffin right outside the window of the room she was in.
2. Even the reader of such an unusual book may be surprised to come upon Addie Bundren’s narrative on page 169, if only because
1. Which are the most intelligent and sympathetic voices in the novel? With whom do you most and least identify? Is Faulkner controlling your closeness to some characters and not others? How is this done, given the seemingly equal mode of presentation for all voices?
Darl is the most intelligent voice in the novel. He often seems to play the role of omniscient narrator, because he describes events that took place when he was not present. For example, he describes Addie’s death, even though he was not with her when she died. Darl appears to be the character that knows the most about what is going on and has the most consistent voice in the novel.
The character that seems to be the most sympathetic is Jewel. The clearest example of his sympathy is demonstrated in his unwillingness to leave Addie when she was on her death bed. His desire to be with his mom makes Jewel stand out as the most sympathetic character, because basically all of the other siblings just wanted to make money, and did not care or pay much thought to their mother’s death.
Faulkner seems to be controlling the closeness of some characters. For instance, as mentioned, Darl and Jewel are the most intelligent and sympathetic characters. Darl is the most common narrator and Jewel shows his caring side when he wants to be with his mother. These instances make the reader connect with them more than the other characters in the novel. The other characters are first introduced with things that are not as relatable or even as likeable. The worst instance of this is how Anse is introduced sawing his mother’s coffin. This action makes the reader believe that Anse is devoid of showing the proper emotion in the time of his mother’s death, because he was making Addie’s coffin right outside the window of the room she was in.
2. Even the reader of such an unusual book may be surprised to come upon Addie Bundren’s narrative on page 169, if only because