As I Lay Dying - a View of Death and Action

How would you react to the idea that someone in your family was dying? Would you sit by them until the end? What about your view on death itself? Do you think that there is some sort of afterlife, where your spirit outlives your body but you continue to live? Perhaps you simply believe that you are trapped in an eternal slumber. There are many different views on the concept of death, as well as the behavior that should be reflected upon when you’re facing death, as with a family member. Though there may be countless opinions on this topic, As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner does a wonderful job of expressing many of these opinions not only about death and the afterlife, but about the actions of people as they watch a family member being slowly consumed by it. Using Faulkner’s unique narration style, we are able to get a better understanding through the views of multiple characters. In this way, we can analyze the topic by character based on their own opinions.
Throughout the story it is quite easy to see that the tension is flaring. Some people are angry, some are sad, and others simply want to have more time. In my reading, I found Anse to be one of the easiest characters to read when it came to his actions in regard to Addie’s inevitable death. Though I imagine that he’s normally a relatively calm and peaceful man, this incident has caused him to become somewhat angry and in denial. While Addie lays on her deathbed, he quite often becomes angry with many people within the family. He seems to deny the concept of sickness and that it was Addie’s time to pass. He is angry at nearly everyone in some manner, but especially the road that was built near the house. He believes that the road has somehow taken all the luck away from their dwelling and the people within it, leaving them with nothing but bad luck. He tries to blame Addie’s death on this road, because if this road wouldn’t have existed, they would still have luck and she wouldn’t have fallen ill. At one