Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay -- As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. Faulkner gave for each one of his characters traits that argon verbalized throughout the story. The reader is introduced to each character through their detailed and descriptive character traits. We are able to delve into the characters mind and get a line their in-person and distinct traits. He did not tell us anything about the characters, unless he takes us into the mind of each character to analyze what we see there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the wide-cut alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each other. Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that leave to or cause the breakdown of their relationship. Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, who was married to Addie for more than than thirty years. He is lazy and selfish and relies greatly on his family and friends. Anses selfishness is what separates him from his two sons-Darl and Jewel. For exam ple, the journey to Jefferson, to bury his dead wife was a annunciate he made to Addie, but his continued perseverance to better himself reveals his confessedly selfishness. Despite the trials along the way and Addies body decomposing and attracting buzzards he is plainly concerned with getting to Jefferson to buy his new teeth. He uses Addies finale to accomplish his own selfish motives. After Addies death Anse says, provided now I can get them teeth. That will be a comfort. (Faulkner 28). The only reason Anse is carrying out with the journey is to get his new teeth. He further shows his selfishness when their mules are drowned in the flood. He makes an arrangement with a kinsman to sell Cashs eight dollars and Jewels beloved gymnastic horse for a new team of mules. Thirdly, Anse is so concern... ...ls seperate from each other scorn everything they share together. Faulkner shows us that with the death of Addie, the flood, fire, and the decomposing of flesh that should have brought them closer together, they are too self-absorbed in themselves to ever get close to each other.Works CitedBackman, Melvin. Faulkner the major years A critical study. Indiana University undertake 1966Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner A Biography (Southern Icons) University Press of Mississippi, 2005Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. newfangled York Vintage, 1987.Getty, Laura J. Faulkners As I Lay Dying The Explicator. 64.3 (2005) 230. Gale. Web. 3 Oct. 2011Humphrey, Robert. pour of consciousness in the modern novel University of California Press, 1968Vickery, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner A exact Interpretation, LSU Press, April 1, 1995