1) Another way of reading the novel involves recognizing the images of success and endurance. To do this look at the comedic and optimistic aspects of the novel. Many of the Bundrens, after all, do succeed in their endeavors, especially Anse, who not only gets his new teeth but also finds a new "Mrs. Bundren"—possibly a hopeful indication for progeny and prosperity.
2) What does the final portrait of the Bundrens look like? Are they as rotten as Addie's corpse, full of despair and dissolution? Or are they a tribute to the vigor and resolve of a Southern family, who successfully complete an overwhelming task? Does Faulkner truly resolve this issue
#2:
ReplyDeleteIn a way, the Bundren family is as rotten as Addie's corpse: Dale is institutionalized, Dewey Dell is pregnant and Cash's leg is basically ruined forever. This family is worse off at the end of the novel than at the beginning. Nothing will be the same once they return from their journey, each character has changed. However, like any other Southern family, the Bundrens have a resolve like no other. They quickly bounced back after burying the late Addie. The most obvious example of this is how Anse, once Addie was gone and buried, picked up a new wife and bought a new set of false teeth. Obviously the Bundrens will never be the same again, as a very important member of their family has since passed, but they will be able to adjust to their new lifestyle. Like any other Southern family, they go with the flow. The only person who is not like this and who cannot become flexible with the coming events is Darl and therefore he is in Jackson and not with the remaining Bundrens. Faulkner does not really resolve this issue. There are a lot of loose ends at the conclusion of this novel, truly allowing the reader to think and infer. If the issues were resolved, I do not believe that the novel would have had as much of an impact on the audience.
2) The final portrait of the Bundrens is a combination of hopeful and hopeless. Several of the characters went on the journey with an intent than to bury Addie - Dewey Dell wants to get an abortion, Anse wants to get teeth, and Jewel is practically forced to come along. By the novel's end, the family is in a state of turmoil after having been through hell just to arrive at Jefferson. The change in character shown by each family member - constructive in the cases of Cash and Jewel and destructive in the cases of Anse, Darl, Dewey Dell and Vardaman - portrays how Addie's death has affected each of them in a different way, or not at all. Despite these changes, the family has a new hope in their return, for it is the differences in their personalities that will help them persevere. Cash's, Anse's and Jewel's acceptance of Addie's death allow them to grow from the experience. We are left to assume that Dewey Dell and Vardaman will eventually confront their own grief; however, Darl may never recover from the shock of the loss of self he associates with Addie's death. The despair of Addie's death still hangs in the air, but the continued determination to thrive in spite of their difficult lives also remains with the Bundren family throughout the novel. Anse's remarriage may promote a healthier environment for his children and himself, as his new wife could be more caring than Addie ever proved herself to be. This addition to the family could also bring it down, should the characters reject Anse's wife and react to his fast remarriage with disgust and disappointment. Faulkner ends his novel with Anse's introduction of his bride to his remaining children to allow the reader to decide for themselves what the future of the Bundren family will be; he purposefully does not resolve the issue so we may draw our own conclusions based on our observations of character deveopment and the perseverance of the family as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe final portrait of the family is definitely rotten as Addie's corpse, as each one of the family members has developed their own problem. There is not one member who gained anything from completing the task of delivering Addie's coffin, yet the determination to do so shows evidence of a classic Southern family. Many times in Southern stories we read about difficult times that they had to go through or hard measures that had to be made in order to survive, yet it is their background and adversity that makes them into a successful family. In this case, it does not seem as if they family has much to look forward to, except for Anse. He got everything that he wanted in terms of a new Mrs. Bundren and a set of teeth, but everyone else has lost something. The image of the family definitely seems more rotten than a Southern family who overcomes a challenge. Faulker does not resolve this issue, as each of the members seem to go their own way, which is independent of that of traditional Southern families. Often times Southern families stay together and have a great sense of companionship, but the Bundren's seem to abandon that and go on separate paths.
ReplyDelete#1
ReplyDeleteAs I Lay Dying is a heart a book of irony. It goes to say that with this irony comes humor, but this humor is dark, morbid and at times even a little sick. To say that many of the Bundrens did succeed in their endeavors is misleading, depending on the personal perspective of the reader. After all, most of the children achieve the end goal of their quest- a burial trio to Jefferson. But Darl is committed as an insane man, Cash's leg is mangled forever, and Addie's burial site is appropriated as a swell pick up spot for Anse. Maybe this is a hopeful indication for progeny and prosperity, but to what extent this applies to the Bundren family is unknown. The audience tends to implicate Anse as a two-bit, trashy and disrespectful man when he blows right out of the burial and marries the woman whom's shovel he borrowed to bury his past. But it's really hard to judge when you consider the relationship of Anse and Addie, which was loveless and, two the disappointment of Addie, fruitful. We can only assume that Anse's next marriage will be better than the last, especially with the acquisition of false teeth, because the last was about as bad as it gets.
For the children, the entire story is about personal enlightenment- as most quests do. Of course, in this quest, the purpose of the journey is ironically misconstrued, several times, and the trappings of the classic quest are briefly flaunted and then thrown to the wind. Such was the design of Faulkner- his modernization of the story of death is unique, and this is what places As I Lay Dying at the top tier of 20th century literature. Cash and Darl must grapple with one another and their new relationships with their mother, post-mortem. Dewey Dell is forced to reconcile her own potential mother-ship with the mothering of Addie. Jewel continues to show his love for his mother, and Vardaman- at an early age- gains some life lessons about his fish mother. Throughout the entire novel, the characters explore themselves and their relationships with one another, and the audience observes the subtle minutiae from the perspective of each character.
In the end, it seems the only story that ties together nicely is that of the undeserving Anse, whose absolutely disgraceful childrearing has lead to many of the children's problems. The audience never learns if Dewey gets her abortion, or if Darl's imprisonment really is justifiable. So did the characters succeed? For the most part, no. But did they endure? Absolutely.
In response to #1)
ReplyDeleteAlthough the characters in this novel all go through their personal struggles, the outcomes of their endeavors is what makes this novel so optimistic about the future. Anse is able to buy false teeth, something he has wanted all his life, and also find a new wife. Although this could be seem as a negative outcome, we know that there was not much love between Anse and Addie, so this is possibly Anse’s first attempt at love. Cash preservers through both the emotional and physical pain that this journey has dealt him, and comes out with a greater understanding of himself and the people around him as demonstrated by his narrations. Jewel also suffers greatly from this quest, but in giving up his horse, he receives a sense of responsibility and loyalty to his family. While Darl is the most negatively impacted by this ordeal, it is possible that Cash is correct when he says to Darl “Down there it’ll be quiet, with none of the bothering and such. It’ll be better for you, Darl”. Vardaman shows endurance by pushing through his state of hysteria, and growing to be a more calm and rational boy. Dewey Dell is the only character who is unable to overcome her personal ordeals, so her outlook is less optimistic, however the symbolism of new life coming into the world is one of the most potent images of the endurance of man.
The Bundren family have become just as rotten as Addie's corpse by the end of the novel. Each of the family members has now created inner turmoils while dealing with the loss of Addie. Her children especially have received complex problems such as young Dewy Dell who is now pregnant and still gullible enough to exchange sexual favors with a man for an abortion drug that is not what it claims to do. Darl has been sent away to a mental institution after burning down a barn. The fact that Anse was so ready to throw Darl out of the family and in the hands of two men shows the conflict in the family. The problems continue as Jewel has now lost his horse and Cash will remain a cripple for the rest of his life due to his leg and a horrendous cement incident. Vardaman, as he is very young, is only able to speak of those missing not fully understand what has occurred and will therefore be lost for most of his life. The only person who could have benefited from anything in this entire novel was Anse as he finds a new set of teeth and also a new wife abruptly after the burial of Addie. Faulkner does not resolve this issue as he leaves the readers questioning why he would have a southern family, who is known to be extremely close no matter what, move in separate downhill directions.
ReplyDelete#1
ReplyDeleteIn accordance with Weston's response, it is difficult to generalize the entire journey of the Bundren family and classify it as successful. In regards to the burial of Addie in Jefferson as her dying wish, it seems like the primary goal of each character is achieved. However, with the success of that task comes great misfortune. The cost that each Bundren pays for attending the journey, whether it be losing tools, sanity, a horse, or a brother, is far more detrimental to the family as a whole than the burial of the Addie is helpful. Essentially, the bad outweighs the good. The humor, grotesque and dark, is revealed by Faulkner in puzzling yet realistic ways. Anse finding a replacement for Addie while looking for a shovel to bury her with is a prime example of the dark humor present in this novel. Faulkner's presentation of the South in this way has been highly criticized and frowned upon by southern audiences. The problems that each Bundren child is faced with is a result of the abomination that Anse's parenthood is and marriage was. Yet, he is the only "winner" of the novel, with his children paying the ultimate cost of his mistakes. Thus, I do not view this novel a success story for any Bundren outside of Anse because of the various problems, physical, emotional, and mental that each Bundren is plagued with.
I already answered #2 in a different post so #1...
ReplyDeleteYes! The story of the Bundrens is relatable to that of a dysfunctional yet lovable sitcom family from the nineties. First there's Anse, the grumpy father who --no matter what wacky situation the gang comes up with-- just wants a pair of wooden teeth. Then there's the main relatable child Darl! He says what the reader is thinking (and what the other characters are thinking with his psychic powers) and plans hilarious pranks like burning down a barn with his mother's coffin inside. Then of course, in an effort to make him more vulnerable so we can relate to him even more, he's thrown in an asylum. I'm sure that arc will be resolved in the next episode of this hilarious sitcom or something. Next in the bunch is the little kid who never knows what's going on. You guessed it, that's Vardaman! From his point of view, his mother is a fish! Also he spends his free time bird watching. For vultures. In typical little kid fashion, he constantly thinks about the traumas his family endures and blames himself for them. He even watches one of his brothers light his mother on fire and is told to bottle it all up inside! What a little brat. Then there's Dewey Dell who, being the only girl in the family, is always getting in trouble with the boys! Like every other comedy and optimistic scenario, she is sexually abused by men taking advantage of her vulnerable emotions. What good comedy doesn't feature multiple attempts at abortion? Jewel is the cool antihero who all the readers connect with because he is misunderstood and always comes around in the end. Honestly, Jewel is not that terrible of a person once his mother dies. Cash breaks his leg after is barely finishes healing from falling off of a barn. Then it gets infected and is made slightly shorter. He almost drowns. Addie abused children with a whip to make herself feel better. A man offering hospitality lost his barn. Multiple animals died. So no, this is not an optimistic book. This book is morbid. The comedy is only there to emphasize the harsh reality of the world.
The Bundrens can be viewed, as Alex put it, as a dysfunctional sitcom family. For example, Dewey Dell is the "dumb blonde" of the group. She has sex with Lafe because she "couldn't help it." Furthermore, the entire pharmacy scene is quite laughable. Vardaman sits outside like a poor old watchdog, but he has no idea what he is guarding. Then, some random guy who works at the pharmacy pretends to be the doctor. Its pretty obvious that he is just having a blast pretending to be someone in authority, and its obvious that he IS NOT a doctor. Yet, Dewey Dell falls for it and believes she can get a legitimate abortion from some young guy in a basement. What makes it funny in a dark way is that immediately when she leaves the pharmacy, she curses the "doctor," claiming that she knows the treatment won't work. Meanwhile, during the trip with her family, no one notices her strange behavior, such as claiming to be selling cakes.
ReplyDeleteIronically, Darl, the only character who has any insight on the world outside their area (since he went to war) is being confined because, like Cash mentions, a crazy person is someone whose actions others don't understand.
What is comedic/optimistic is that Anse finally got what he wanted -- his false teeth and a new wife, albeit his wife was found while getting a shovel to bury his dead wife. In a sense, it is optimistic that Anse gets what he wants -- it only took him the death of his wife, the trading of a horse, the burning of a barn, the dismissal of his son to an insane asylum, and other events to allow him to get them.
In the case of Anse, this not so much comedic and hopeful, but ultimately dismal. This novel is a reminder of how life can play out unpredictably, without allotting to each what they deserve. Anse deserves to experience abandonment, as he uses everything material and intellectual, to suit his own needs. Despite his seemingly happy ending, he is still not in a good position for the future. Anse mortgaged away his farming equipment, thus the future livelihood of his family. They endure fire and floods, sickness and treachery, and nearly sacrifice their lives for what; to lay a corpse to rest. Notice, they do not honor A living person with their deeds, but a backwards, mangled corpse, of mother that had little love for her children. However, it seems that she has inspired a deep love from her children, because unflinchingly, the group never turns back home, nor gives up the journey. I agree with Vlad, it was always their ultimate goal All endure flood and fire to bury their dead Addie. Possibly, they are using this journey to hold onto her memory and subconsciously deal with her passing. The issue is largely unresolved; as they loose so much on the journey, all for something that means so little in the grand scheme of things. Darl seems to be the final nod that all their work was in vain. Circumstance took away his sanity, his freedom, and his future; despite his role as the most observant, intellectual, and perceptive of our narrators. Darl's illness is the final allusion to the insanity, not the cosmic comic relief of life itself.
ReplyDeleteResponse to #2:
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of the final portrait of the Bundren family, I think of rotten, dirty, etc. like Addie's corpse. The first example of this disgust within the family comes from Anse. Anse, through the course of the novel, totally replaces Addie. I am honestly still really upset that this happened. To deal with his grief, Anse finds a new wife and false teeth to deal with his grief now that Addie is gone. Instead of being a widow and trying to accept Addie's death, he moves on (way too quickly) by avoiding the problem of grief completely by finding a new wife. To put this in the nicest terms possible, that kind of pissed me off. Anyways, enough ranting :) Shifting to Darl now, as I said in the other discussion, I feel that Darl also avoided the problem of dealing with Addie's death by going insane. He becomes very angry, to the point that he burns down a barn. Again, I feel the need to reference the beginning of the novel and how Darl walks around the house; he also walks around this problem by avoiding it and going crazy doing so. He becomes more and more crazy as the novel moves on. Overall, I feel really disgusted with the way the family treated Addie's death and how they dealt with their challenges. Also, not related to Addie's death, but again to reference Dewey Dell and her failed abortion, she is trying to throw out that problem out of her life. She is trying to avoid seeing the baby, who will be a constant reminder of his or her father. The way that the family dealt with their problems and challenges was disgusting, and that resulted in their rotten portrait, like Addie's corpse.
Although it never occurred to me before now, I do see how there could be some comic and optimism within this novel. I really like Alex’s view on the Bundren’s in some 90s sitcom. Dewey Dell was actually a funny character to me. I mean, she literally decided to have sex by seeing if her bag was full of cotton by the end of the row. She treated this decision like it was some joke, which reminded me of some dumb character from a show. She did not once think of the outcome and just “couldn’t help it.” This continues when she goes to the pharmacy in search of an abortion. It is amazing how naïve she is. Some young random kid tricks her into thinking he can give her this procedure, and she believes him! It is laughable that she takes it so seriously at first, and can even believe the situation. Anse’s final outcome could be considered comedic and optimistic. He gets his new wife and his teeth; exactly what he wanted. Although he betrayed his wife, and met his new one in an ironic circumstance he is happy. It may have taken death, but here is Anse, happy. Also, I find it ironic that the only voice of reason and clarity we have throughout the whole novel ends up in a mental institution.
ReplyDelete#2 I believe that the final portrait of the Bundren family is just as rotten as Addie's corpse if not worse. Every member of the family has either created a problem for themselves or has found themselves in a situation that was only bringing despair. Anse forces himself to move on my replacing his wife with another woman, Darl completely loses it and his mental sanity is gone. Also dewey dell is stuck pregnant without anyway of actually being able to provide for her baby. All of them at the end of buring Addie in a sense lost apart of themselves and who they were. They were all different people in a worse situation than they were before. Each of them handles Addie's death differently and in the end they all leave each other and go on there own. They don't represent the vigor and resolve of Southern families because normally they would stay together and keep going, but everyone here just goes there separate ways to deal with it alone.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough it is definitely not evident at all points in the novel, there are some comedic and optimistic aspects that Faulkner chose to include to lighten the dark mood of the book. Anse was not a model citizen in any way, shape, or form, but can we really fault him for getting what he wanted in the end? He was able to provide Addie with her dying wish so shouldn’t he get his teeth? It is human nature to seek what we want and it is comforting to see someone succeed in their mission. As mentioned above by Alina, Dewey Dell is the epitome of a ‘dumb blonde’ character. What she goes through is not a laughable situation, but the fact that she could have easily prevented the situation from occurring if she had used just an ounce common sense is humorous in a dark way.
ReplyDelete2. I feel as though the Bundren family is both a tribute to a strong-willed family while also presenting a completely rotten existence. The Bundren family was definitely determined to bury their mother/wife in Jefferson like she wanted. Through all the ups and downs of getting there, they persevered, each in their own way. Cash struggled to keep his pain to himself after injuring his leg. Jewel kept his head up after he had to barter his beloved horse. Dewey Dell kept quiet about her pregnancy and even though she is a bit dim-witted, she pushed through this hard time completely alone (except for Darl's random jokes) and I have to give her some credit for that. Vardaman grows into a more sensible child after his mother's death and we know it takes a lot for a young child to get through a situation like that. Anse definitely makes it through his wife's death and even makes some improvements to his life throughout this journey. So it is safe to say that the Bundren's represent a strong-willed Southern family; however this family is not necessary respectable. Anse getting a wife only days after the death of his previous one is completely inconsiderate especially when he kept repeating to his children that they weren't respecting their mother's death. Dewey Dell ends up having sex (again!) because she naively believes it will get rid of her pregnancy. Darl ends up institutionalized. Although not all of the Bundren's end up despicable or show their strong will, the overall portrait of their family shows a rotten Southern family with a high sense of perseverance.
ReplyDelete#1: Though the novel does have some comedic and optimistic points, overall, the book is definitely not meant to be a comedy or have a hopeful message. I believe the comedic and optimistic events were thrown in just to make sure the reader didn't walk away feeling completely hopeless. The events that were optimistic, such as Anse finding a new wife, still leave the reader with a sour taste in your mouth because of the other aspects of the situation. Anse had just put his wife in the ground and though it is kind of optimistic that he found someone else to spend his life with so that he wouldn't be alone, the fact that it was so soon after his wife's death, not leaving him any time to grieve and without consulting his children made an optimistic event seem depressing. An example of a comedic moment in the novel is basically any time Dewey Dell opens her mouth. Though she got pregnant and pathetically attempted to abort the child, the fact that she is so naive and lacks and form of common sense I guess could be considered slightly humorous. Her situation however is anything but as she is not only ruining her own life, but probably the life of the child inside her. So basically, though the novel seems to attempt optimism and comedy, I do not think that Faulkner's intent was to make this novel a comedy or an optimistic piece. The points of the novel that seem to be optimistic or comedic either have a dark side or it is just an attempt at dark humor.
ReplyDeleteDark comedy is everywhere in this novel.
ReplyDeleteWhat man with a hunchback and false teeth and no money picks up a wife that easily? Tell me you didnt chuckle when you read about Vardamin drilling holes into his mother's coffin and subsequently her body. And then regret chuckling because it was kinda sad and pathetic.
Dewey Dell getting tricked into not actually getting an abortion and actually having sex with the guy. I mean come ON PEOPLE this is humor. Except its also pathetic and sad. There is a trend here.
Darls insane rampage? Dewey Dell jumping him so he can be committed?
I don't think this comedy was meant to lighten the mood. But rather to point out how desperate these people are! Dark humor is supposed to make you feel dirty for laughing at that, and I certainly feel that any humor used in As I Lay Dying by Faulkner was with the intent to show exactly how horrible these people's lives are and make you feel bad for them and their patheticness (especially Dewey Dell shes very pathetic). Faulkner wanted them to look pathetic in these situations, not fun or hopeful.
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ReplyDeleteIn the sense of selfish gain, each of the characters takes a step back and a step forward, losing something and getting something new. For Anse, of course, he loses his wife, which may have been traumatic at first, but he continued on to buy his new teeth and completely replace her, which worked for him. Cash begins the novel by building Addie's coffin, trying to balance it. In the end, he does finish his casket, and serves his physical purpose in the story. Dewey Dell basically sets out to not tell anyone about her future-child, which she fulfills, keeping this secret from her family. Even Addie begins the story with a dream of being buried in a place that is special to her, which is how she finishes the story. And in this sense, all of these characters do fulfill what they set out to do in the beginning, kind of like justifying a reason to go out and bury Addie, besides out of respect for her.