The Ties that Bind

Paper Summary:

This paper examines William Faulkner's seminal novel "As I Lay Dying", in which alienation is a central theme. The paper maintains that alienation is conveyed through the characters Darl and Addie. Comparing the two characters, the paper finds that the are both alienated from the family and from society as a whole. In addition, they both undergo degradation throughout the novel, and both share the same ideas about words. The paper concludes that the novel brings to light feelings of alienation that are pertinent today, not just in the early 1900s.

From the Paper:

"Addie's sense of alienation seems to be the most intense out of any character in the novel. One could say that Addie has reached the ultimate level of isolation. Succinctly: death. Besides the obvious, though, Addie experiences alienation due to Cora Tull's scorn. Cora is able to recognize that Addie adores Jewel to the exception of her other children, something that Cora condemns. Cora says: "the only sin she [Addie] ever committed was being partial to Jewel that never loved her" (Faulkner 1919). It is interesting that Cora says, "only sin," so clearly she does not know Addie that well, as readers are aware that Addie is far from sin free. A major theme of the novel is religion, which Cora represents, and religion and alienation are closely related. Practitioners of certain religions often feel the need to pass judgment upon others, as Cora does, and judgment can lead to alienation and isolation. Addie must feel that she does fit in to a religious society, which the South was during the early 1900s, and still is today."

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