Thursday, May 21, 2015
As I Lay Dying Follow-up.
Now that we have had a brief discussion of the beginning of As I Lay Dying, write a brief response which extends or diverges from what we've already discussed. Any scenes or situation that you would like to bring up? And most importantly, what do you think this book is shaping up to be about (what kind of meaning is it making)?
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I would like to add a personal interpretation of the meaning behind the book. Maybe it's too soon to say, but I think that the book is saying to not wait around all your life. The problem is, everyone thinks they have time to do things that they haven't thought of yet. Addie shows that to her family as they all wait around for her to die. Even her young sons wait for her death. No one goes out and lives, trying to make their mother's last days the best they can be for her. Each character gets their own chapters to explain their side of the story. Cash builds a coffin for the mother as she watches through the window, Jewel and Addie are super close though he's born out of wedlock, and Darl is just an awkward kid who doesn't get the love and care his mother gives Jewel, and is born legitimately. I believe by her dying, the characters left behind in the book will realize the importance of time and how they should spent it.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the first portion of As I Lay Dying I have started to notice the ideas of betrayal and devotion between the different members of the family. It is unique how Jewel is considered a bastard child but yet he loves Addie the most. Whereas Darl, the legitimate child seems distant in his feelings toward his mother. The one who seems so far speaks the most. Is there something that he is waiting for upon his mother’s death? Then, there is Jewel, who does not speak out to his family often. He speaks his mind only when the situation is right, otherwise he keeps his feelings bottled up. I feel like there is potential for this difference in personality to become a large problem in the story, once Addie dies. Will Jewel be mad at Darl for taking him on the trip when he knows that Addie will die in their absence?
ReplyDeleteThe scene where jewel leaves and the mother dies is very symbolic. The speaker doesn't go with the chapter title but rather it flips back between the house where the mom is dying and jewel away from the house. Jewel has a connection to his mom but doesn't want to be there. Their family relationships are odd and you can see how their isolation has caused a distortion on reality.
ReplyDeleteThe family connections of As I Lay Dying are a rather interesting and twisted family to say the least. Their family bonds seem to have little to no hold with each other save for the fact that they are related. There is currently no act of kindness and strong family bonds shown between the group save for Darl and Addie. Jewel himself decides to leave his dying mother, full well knowing that she will probably die before he gets back just to get three dollars. Darl on the other hand becomes upset about missing his mother in her last days. This might be because of Darl's possible neglect throughout childhood. We are never truly told the ages of the children, but it can be assumed that Darl and Jewel are of similar ages. Jewel, the bastard child, was coddled and pampered by Addie throughout life. Yet Jewel gives no care to Addie. Darl is the opposite of this so it can be assumed/ alluded to that Darl got a contrasting childhood to Jewel. Darl is also labeled as a hoodrat/thug by Corra despite her right after saying that Darl is actually nice and sweet. Corra most likely says this to further prove that Darl was neglected as most ne'er do wells seem to be aloof and alone by law of stereotype. By far Darl is the most colorful and descriptive character of the book. There is also Vardaman with his fish, but well I'm sure other people can give descriptions to his character and.
ReplyDeleteWhen first beginning 'As I Lay Dying' I noticed the strains in the relationship of the main family. One relationship in particular was with Addie and Jewel. While Addie lies dying she doesn't have to speak a word and everyone knows she wants Jewel by her side. Her favoritism is blatantly obvious to the rest of the family, though Dewey Dell still clings to her mother's side. Jewel however shows no reciprocating feelings as he would rather stay in the fields and go into town even if it means missing his mother's last day. This interested me because perhaps Addie favors him for a reason that is unknown to Jewel and maybe that is why he does not respond to his mother the same way. That's what really stuck out to me so far the theme of motherhood and secrets. Dewey Dell is pregnant and it seems as though no one knows, she is keeping the whole issue to herself and Addie seems to be hiding something that she takes to her grave. I'll be interested to see if this theme continues and if we learn anything more about Jewel and Addie's relationship and if anyone else discover's Dewey Dell's secret.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in 'As I lay Dying' all seem to represent the different ways that we, as humans, respond to death. In fact, an argument could be made that the famous "6 stages of grief" could be in play. Throughout much of the book, the characters bury themselves in their own problems rather than confronting the things that really bother them (denial), they lash out at each other, themselves and at the world, such as in Vardaman's outburst against the horses (rage), they pine after random things in an attempt to benefit from the situation, such as Anse's teeth (bargaining) Some of them retreat inwardly and weep, such as Dewey Dell (Depression) but the final step, acceptance, is a tad more challenging, and I believe that the whole point of the book is about accepting death, even if it takes one's own death to achieve it.
ReplyDeleteThis book is shaping up to be centered around the complexity that surrounds family life. Each relationship has some quirk to it; each character seems to exemplify certain traits and ideas. The scene that stuck out most to me was Vardaman's lashing out. He is characterized as so innocent throughout the book and this scene reveals to us how passionate he is. It seems passion in this book is quite rare so far. Even though the event of this book, Addie's death, is quite tragic in nature, most of the characters seem to act quite composed during and after it. Even Anse, Addie's husband, shows little emotion after the death of his wife. Cash keeps on building her coffin. Jewel, who Addie felt closest to, is okay with leaving even when Addie could die at any moment. It's somewhat refreshing to see a character act out with the passion you'd expect to see after something so tragic. It makes sense it's Vardaman we see doing this because he's so young and he hasn't yet learned that adults are supposed to conceal their emotions.
ReplyDeleteSo far, the books seems to be about what death means to those who are left behind. To Cora the death of Addie Bundren is sad but meant to be, she is dying as God meant her to. But to the children of the family, their mother’s death is much more confusing. Vardaman thinks his mother is a fish, and Cash seems to forced farther into his work to give something meaning, as if death is a loss of meaning. For Anse, Addie’s death is expected and an excuse for him to be able to get his teeth fixed, it’s just a continuation of events in his life. Cash’s emotions are conveyed in the scene when Addie has just died. The description of Cash looking at his mother, “Cash is not listening. After a while he turns without looking at Pa and leaves the room. Then the saw begins to snore again.” shows how devoid of anything but his purpose he is. In that scene Anse is focused on life continuing, in Dewey Dell making dinner and Cash going back to what he was doing, it seems like he just wants everything to be normal so they can get Addie to her grave as soon as possible and he can get his teeth.
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ReplyDeleteI was not here for the discussion but the family dynamic in this novel gives one a lot to talk about. Addie blatantly favors Jewel because he is the first legitimate son born to her husband, and not born from an affair such as Cash and Darl were. However, what is ironic is that Jewel leaves when his mother is on her deathbed, and is clearly withholding any sort of emotion he has regarding her death. Even though Addie clearly favored Jewel over Darl, Darl is the one who goes and sees Addie right before she dies. Anse seems to be very selfish. He asks his only daughter to co and make him dinner the moment after her mother dies; even though she is clearly distraught. The huge involvement the neighbors have in this family is odd to me. I am not sure why they want to help out so much other than it being their “Christian Duty”. Anse likes to take and take from people and not give anything back. Cash is hard to make out because from the beginning of the novel until when his mother dies he is carving out her coffin in the front yard. Vardaman compares his mother to the dead fish he just caught and cleaned, and yells at his sister Dewey when he catches her cooking the fish. It is very odd to me the fact that this boy relates his mother to a dead sea creature. The way the children act individually gives you a real insight on how Addie treated them when she was alive, and shows just how dysfunctional the family dynamic in this novel is.
ReplyDeleteThe strangest part of ¨As I Lay Dying¨ for me so far has been the construction of a coffin directly beneath the still-living body that it's being made for. Right off the bat this gave me the impression that Cash was a very realistic, things-happen-and-we-move-on type of person. He blocks out his feeling-- or perhaps he simply doesnt feel a strong connection to Addie-- and unaffectedly furnishes a coffin for his dying mother. Were this another situation with another family, most children would be too distraught with the death of a parent, and most spouses would be too upset by the fact that their children will outlive their parent that they would have stopped the child from building. What I don't understand is that neither of these reactions happen; Anse simply goes about his daily business, as does the rest of the family and neighbors who hear the constant reminder of Addie's death in the sawing of wood. None of these characters reactions are normal, and when there's something so obviously wrong in a storyline one tends to attribute it to a point that the author may be trying to make. I sense that ¨As I Lay Dying¨ will grow in the direction of "when one is too swept up in his/her own current situation, it is easy to lose track of the whole, and of the people and paces around you that make up the bigger picture."
ReplyDeleteI think Jewel is one of the more complex characters so far. Everyone seems to have different opinions of him; characters in the book and people in class. Its easy to look at Jewel and see an incompassionate angry young adult, but I think his character development is going to leader to a much deeper pool of emotions. I think it is true that he is extremely angry at the world, and some of the people in it. That being said I do think he cares deeply for his mother but he can not express it as easily as some of his siblings because he is so angry. An odd, but relevant, way that William Faulkner choose to characterized Jewel is through the scene where he bringing in the horse. He takes care of it, sometimes brutally with abuse and harsh language but there is still some deep compassion their, though yet again it is expressed much differently. Another scene that strikes me in relation to Jewel’s depiction is the brief switch in scenes from Addie's death to Jewel and Darl; where Darl is trying to tell Jewel about their mother’s death, but he trudges on, defiant, through the rain.
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ReplyDeleteI would like to extend the discussion about the characters coping mechanisms for the loss of their mother. While she is on her death bed they all seem to avoid thinking of the death by continuing on with their lives, doing what they need to do to keep busy. This is why Cash’s loud sawing and constant construction angers them all, it is a constant reminder of the impending death. Once Addie dies they all seem to mourn momentarily, Dewey Dell crying over her mother, and then get back to life. Anse instructs Dewey to go prepare dinner and he begins to think of his opportunity to get new teeth. The family seems to work best when they ignore the grief and the loss. By preoccupying themselves they are able to ignore the death. Jewel and Darl going into town allows them to completely get away from the death, even the incessant sawing of wood for the coffin. Although this works best for most of the family, Darl appears to wish to be with his mother in her last days. He does not want to leave her to go to town with Jewel but he does regardless. I feel as though Darl has a connection to Addie that will be revealed later on in the novel. Although she favored Jewel, and it was clear to the whole family, Darl seemed to care for her the most, be the most attached to her. I believe the book is shaping up to be an example of how you can love someone so deeply even when they do not seem to reciprocate, and that love can be there even when it isn’t clear.
ReplyDelete“As I Lay Dying” is a very complex novel that deals with overlapping themes of denial, loss, morality, and greed to name a few. The essential point to the story seems to be about those who are dying figuratively and metaphorically. Prior to the death of Addie, the family does not seem to have led a life that was filled with joy. Perhaps it is the poverty or, maybe the individual personalities that do not allow any true joy to be a part of their life.Cora is a very interesting character in that she lives a very pious life, but is also harshly judgemental towards everyone whose views do not match her own views. She describes Dewey Dell as one who dresses half-naked, and Jewel as a troublemaker, but she seemed to have had more of a perspective as to the type of person Addie was.
I feel that the book is shaping up to be about the human response to death. We get the perspectives of those in and outside the family and we can see how each character responds and how their brain works. The different perspectives are especially interesting when contrasting Vardaman’s reaction of anger and Peabody with Jewel reaction of denial. Both characters remove themselves away from their mother, but Jewel leaves before she dies, not being able to withstand the sight of his dying mother, while Vardaman leaves running out of the house in a rage.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that some people are the type to take a direct path while others take a curved path seems to serve as a characterization of one’s response. In the beginning of the book when Darl walks around the house to see his dying mother, Jewel walks in a straight path to her. This shows Jewel’s exact and determined methods in reacting to bad news or a bad situation. He is direct about the situation and seems to not let the emotions involved with a dying loved one get to him. It makes him seem cold and separated compared to Darl. Darl, who is younger, would understandably be less confident in seeing his dying mother. He sort of wades in the sadness and is resisting seeing her, although he knows he should. He wants to see his mother, but is going about doing it in a drawn out way, showing how the emotions are getting to him more than they are Jewel.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on how the characters in the book seem to ignore the events happening to them and usually either blame something/someone else for what's happening. Anse was really anxious and starts to rub his knees and blames the weather for his wife dying. Jewel decides to leave without saying goodbye to his mom to a pointless three dollar delivery trip instead of staying with her. Cash spends all his time building the coffin his mother is going to lay in instead of being with her. They all seem to have this kind of ignorance surrounding them, almost protecting them from getting hurt or having to deal with their feelings towards their mom/wife's death. Forms of denial seems to be everyone’s way to cope with death throughout the novel and it makes me wonder why that is. I think the book is shaping up to be about how life passes by and does not wait for anyone, how family dynamics are not always perfect, and how death affects those close to it.
The most fascinating moments of the book so far to me have been the repeated references to the sawing and working of Cash. Faulkner began the references as always in a vague and mysterious manner. Most of the action in the book thus far feels somehow a layer below the language of the novel. It almost feels like a metaphor for the family connection that is, or is not present. The remarkable oddities present in the Bundren family are somehow hidden by the profound remoteness of the family. Each time a family member notices the mother glancing up to gaze at Cash as he creates her coffin seems to me to be an opening up of this strange glazing which covers over the family. This is some meaning that I have attempted to make during the first part of As I Lay Dying.
ReplyDeleteI find Faulkner's creation of a continuous, grating manifest of death (in the form of Cash's incessant sawing) and its contrast with the varied forms of sorrow expressed by other characters internally and externally to form the basis of the book's meaning: death is an inescapable end that we cope with only when it arrives before us. Once their mother’s impending death grips each of Addie’s children, they respond in a multitude of manners that give a fair depiction of the human condition. Cash of course deals with the situation by busying himself with focus-requiring task, though it is made ironic due to the grim nature of the task. Jewel’s more complicated, self-contained sorrow shows the more thoughtful being among us, though his forward and direct mannerisms suggest the balance between grief and responsibility that is required in such situations. Dewie-Dell certainly puts her feelings on public display, crying wholeheartedly, but I believe Faulkner also employs her to explain how multiple stresses can cause an individual to crumble emotionally, especially those who are self-centered. Darl fulfills the role of a loyal child that yearns for his mother’s presence, yet he is at a crossroads between grief and responsibility that Jewel passed through much more easily due to maturity. Vardaman has us look through the most simple lens, noting that something that was once alive is now dead. This coping with a blunt reality reflects those that experience shock at a loved one’s death, those that still must come to terms with an event that will quite possibly affect the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Faulker attempts to encapsulate the immensely complex human capacity to deal with grief through these characters, highlighting their personal emotional struggles to help us understand where we lie amidst the spectrum.
The death of Addie Bundren is arguably one of the biggest turning points in the book so far. So far, the tone of the book has been quite morose. From the construction of the coffin in front of Addie, to the hints at the rocky past in the Bundren family, the death of Addie Bundren was not only expected, but was almost a sigh of relief for the reader. The entire first section of the book is simply building tension until Addie actually dies. After this occurs, the rest of the book is dedicated to the removal of the coffin from the family home, and the journey that the Bundren family takes to plant the coffin in the place that Addie requested she was buried before she died. Another thing I would like to touch on is the contrast between how Addie treats her bastard child (Jewel) and how Gloucester treated his bastard son in “King Lear”. Addie prizes Jewel, and refers to Jewel as her favorite child, whereas Gloucester did not like Edmund half as much. “As I Lay Dying” is not the most happy book you can read, but it is quite interesting to read about the psychedelic south from each of the Bundren children’s point of views.
ReplyDeleteIn each excerpt from “As I Lay Dying” there is mention of the sound of Cash’s saw in the background as he works on Addie’s coffin. In fact the construction of the coffin is so heavily emphasized that, when first reading, one can almost be convinced into thinking Addie is already dead. Her death is just a matter of time and when the time does come the reactions of her family members are quite peculiar. For the most part funeral preparations are resumed and the characters go back to thinking of themselves, a mere blip in their days. Dewey Dell’s reaction seems the most appropriate outwardly but inwardly I believe her motives behind her tears and drama were more selfish than selfless. When a girl’s mother dies it is expected for her to grieve but Dewey Dell’s grievances are introverted. Once Addie passes, Anse immediately delegates the duties of the household to Dewey Dell, and, in essence, the duties of motherhood. Her new found duties are symbolic of her mental transition into motherhood while her physical transition is soon to come. No one knows of her pregnancy but herself so Dewey weeps for the loss of childhood and her entrance into motherhood, a journey she has begun in solidarity.
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