"As I Lay Dying"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the work, "As I Lay Dying" written by William Faulkner. The paper contends that this story, like all other works of Faulkner, appears simple on the surface, but hides layers beneath layers of meaning that can be unearthed with the help of symbols, imagery, and narrative analysis.

From the Paper:

"Dewey, the daughter of Addie, wants to have an abortion with the 10 dollars she was given by world- be father Lafe, Anse wants a new set of teeth, Cash wants a new record player while Dewey's son wants some bananas. Darl and Jewel are going without any real motive and it appears burial is the one thing on their mind. Darl is however not exactly as virtuous as he appears at times because he is intensely jealous of Jewel who was Addie's favorite son and Darl's half-brother. "Although I am fifteen feet ahead of him, anyone watching from the cottonhouse can see Jewel's frayed and broken straw hat a full head above my own." (p.3) His jealousy leads to some humiliating comments: "Jewel...whose son are you" and, "Your mother was a horse, but who was your father Jewel?" (p.212). Jewel with no real Bundren connection is the most selfless of all people and adores his mother."

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