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 present Dying. Faulkner gave each of his calibres traits that ar expressed 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 draw their personal and distinct traits. He did not tell us anything somewhat the characters, but he takes us into the mind of each character to learn what we represent there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each different. Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship. Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, who was marry to Addie for more 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 example, the jour ney to Jefferson, to bury his dead wife was a promise he made to Addie, but his continued perseverance to wear himself reveals his true selfishness. Despite the trials along the way and Addies body decomposing and attracting buzzards he is only concerned with getting to Jefferson to buy his impertinent teeth. He uses Addies finish to accomplish his own selfish motives. After Addies death Anse says, But 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 trade Cashs eight dollars and Jewels pricey horse for a new team of mules. Thirdly, Anse is so concern... ...ls seperate from each other despite 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 walking(prenominal) to gether, they are too self-absorbed in themselves to ever get penny-pinching to each other.Works CitedBackman, Melvin. Faulkner the major years A critical study. inch University Press 1966Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner A Biography (Southern Icons) University Press of Mississippi, 2005Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York Vintage, 1987.Getty, Laura J. Faulkners As I Lay Dying The Explicator. 64.3 (2005) 230. Gale. Web. 3 Oct. 2011Humphrey, Robert. Stream of consciousness in the modern novel University of California Press, 1968Vickery, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner A Critical Interpretation, LSU Press, April 1, 1995