FREE ESSAY ON AS I LAY DYING

AS I LAY DYING

William Faulkner's use of interior monologue in as As I Lay Dying allows the reader to
experience the story from more then one persons perspective. 
Through the thoughts of Darl Bundren the reader comes to understand what is going on
within the family. On the other hand Anse Bundren allows the reader to get a different
perspective on the family. The reader gets the perspective of an outsider through Cora
Tull's narration. The make up of these characters as well as others allows the reader to
see all sides of the story.
Darl functions as an insider that is completely aware of the severity of what is going
on. Darl explains that Anse treats his family as if the were born to serve him. "The
shirt across pa's hump is faded lighter than the rest of it. There is no sweat stain on
his shirt. He was sick once from working in the sun when he was twenty- two years old,
and tells people if he ever sweats he will die." This explains that is shown towards him
throughout his families monologues. Darl believes that his father should be taking care
of his family instead of focusing on himself. "And now I got to pay for it, me without a
tooth in my head, hoping to get ahead enough so I could get my mouth fixed where I could
eat God's own victuals as a man should, and her hale and well as ere a woman in the land
until that day."(p.37) Despite his wives death he is more concerned about getting his new
teeth then taking care of his family. Not only does Darl resent his father for not taking
care of his family but for neglecting Addie as well. "Ma wanted to get the doctor, but pa
didn't want to spend the money without it was needful" (p.130) In many ways Darl blamed
his father for his mothers death. Darl allows the reader to understand the interpersonal
relationships within the Bundren family.
On the other hand, Anse functions as an insider who is blind to his own actions but
offers insight to the actions of others. Anse is upset by the fact that people talk about
Darl behind his back. "I says I got some regard for what folks say about my own flesh and
blood even if you haven't, even if I have raised such a durn parssel of boys, and when
you fixes so folks can say such about you, it's a reflection on your ma, I says, not me:
I am a man and I can stand it; it's on your womenfolk, your ma and sister that you should
care for, and I turned and looked back at him and him setting there, laughing." (p.105-6)
Anse thinks that Darl is the reason that people think that the family is wired. Anse
blames his luck on everyone but himself. "I have herd men cuss their luck, and right, for
they were sinful men. But I do not say it's a curse on me, because I have done no wrong
to be cussed by. I am not religious, I reckon. But peace is in my heart: I know it is. I
have done things neither better or worse than them that pretend other like, sparrow that
falls. But it seems hard that a man in his need could be so flouted by a road."(p.38)
Anse believes that he has done nothing wrong in his life so therefore his bad luck must
be do to the actions of others. Anse believes that he is doing everything in his power to
carry out Addie's wish. " 'I done my best,' I says. 'I tried to do as she would wish it.
The Lord will pardon me and excuse the conduct of them He sent me.' And Darl setting on
the plank seat right above her where she was laying, laughing."(p.106) Despite what the
other members say about Anse he believes that he is doing the right thing. Anse's
narration allows the reader to see things through the eyes of the so called bad guy.
Cora allows the reader to view the family from the perspective of an outsider. Cora
believes that no one in the Bundren family loved Adie as much as Darl. As she recalls a
moment when Adie was on her death bed, "He just stood there looking at his dying mother
his heart to full for words."(p.25) Despite the fact that the reader is able to learn how
many people truly loved Adie Cora's monologue allows the reader to see what those around
the family believed to be true. Cora also allows the reader to see how outsiders viewed
Addie. As Cora recalls, "She lived, a lonely woman, lonely with her pride, trying to make
folks believe different, hiding the fact that they just suffered her, because she was not
cold in the coffin before they were carting her forty miles away to bury her, flouting
the will of God to do it. Refusing to let her lie in the same earth with those
Bundrens."(.22-3) Even though reader learn about Adie through the other sections it is
important to see how she was viewed by her friends. It is important for the reader to be
able to develop a complete picture of the characters which Cora enables them to do.