Published 1935 / Length 248 pages
A portrait of life in the American Deep South, As I Lay Dying tells the story of the Bundren family as they embark on a journey to bury their mother in her home town of Jefferson, Mississippi. Written as a stream of consciousness, the book’s chapters are variously narrated by several characters, each with a distinctive style to reflect their unique personality, right down to their dialect. A depiction of a family learning to work together to overcome obstacles, the novel is more strikingly a collection of personal journeys, as each family member finds their own way to come to terms with grief. Laced with black humour, Faulkner’s tale is at times grotesque, and yet also filled with heart, as we witness the Bundrens’ battles and triumphs.
‘At first glance this book seems challenging, but once you grasp the narrative style, the characters’ personal stories become absorbing, Faulkner’s style fascinating, and the Bundrens’ heroic struggles against adversity win you over.’ – SALLY, 22
• Faulkner’s representations of human thought processes are often incredibly poetic, especially in the case of Darl. How realistic do you find the narrative? Is Faulkner right to take some artistic licence?
• The Bundrens are not really presented in a positive light, either as a family or individuals, yet their mission is honourable. Ultimately, could their journey be interpreted as heroic, with Anse as the villain?
• Darl’s narrative dominates the book. What does this say about him and the other characters? What disparate character traits do we become aware of through the different narrative voices? How does Faulkner achieve this?
• Though Addie narrates only one chapter of the book, she could be seen as its centre. How are issues of motherhood and family presented? Are the Bundrens traditional?
• William Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, on which Jefferson in the fictional county Yoknapatawpha is based. The population was made up of poor farmers like the Bundrens, who scraped a living from the land.
• The title As I Lay Dying is a line from Homer’s The Odyssey; the link to the epic genre suggests that Faulkner’s book is a mock epic. It elevates the journey of a poor, small-town family into a quest for greatness.
• Faulkner wrote the book in six weeks while working in a university boiler room, shovelling coal to pay the mortgage. Later in his life Faulkner became famous, moving to Hollywood to become a scriptwriter.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by MARK TWAIN (see here) – like Faulkner’s, Twain’s book is a celebration of the South.
• The Grapes of Wrath by JOHN STEINBECK – focuses on a poor family forced to make a journey and their developing relationships.
• On the Road by JACK KEROUAC – similarly experimental and written in stream-of-consciousness style, detailing the travels of friends across America.