Personal Response
During my reading of As I Lay Dying I found that I kept telling myself, “I really like this book.” I think what surprised me most about it was Faulkner’s style of writing-I guess I was expecting something either really romanticized or something more academic, but instead I found that the book was wonderfully human. There were aspects of the book that were poetic and surreal but others where just the simplicity of a character’s statement or thought was very powerful. I think that Faulkner did great justice in articulating each of the character’s faults and putting the reader in an uncomfortable place of judgment; weather to blame the Bundrens for their failings or to sympathize for just the pitiful situation each character found them selves in. I appreciate how accessible Faulkner crafted each of his characters. One character that I really found intriguing was Vardaman, the youngest of the Bundren family. I really enjoyed how oddly endearing and sort of disturbed he was like the rest of his family. One of my favourite parts of the book was in the beginning when after his mother dies, Vardaman is found the next day asleep next to his mother’s coffin where he drilled holes to give her air to breath, but inadvertently put holes in his mother’s face. Just the disturbed paradox of Vardaman’s intension to help his mother but ending up damaging her instead, just really set up the tone well for the rest of the novel. I also enjoyed Darl’s bizarre unfiltered character and Cash’s strait forward view of events with very few feelings prevailing his observations. My second favourite part of the novel was Cash’s observation about insanity, Darl’s in particular. “Sometimes I ain’t so sho who’s got ere a right to say when a man is crazy and when he ain’t. Sometimes I think it ain’t none of us pure crazy and ain’t none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. It’s like it ain’t so much what a fellow does, but it’s the way the majority of the folks is looking at him when he does it”(172). I think Cash’s comment sums up the theme of the novel: truth seems relative when things are based on individual perspective.
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I very much liked and agree with your personal response. Specifically, I agree with your description of Faulkner’s style As I Lay Dying as “wonderfully human.” I have to say that the concept of his portrayal of his characters as being original, distinct voices more defined by their faults than anything else really added to the stories creativity—even though I could also say that this was what the novel the most confusing. I also loved certain statements of the character’s in the book that were somehow powerful despite, or perhaps because of, their simplicity. Your appreciation of Vardaman is something that I can definitely get behind as he had to be my favorite character in the whole book, and this is because of the same reasons that you stated. I also agree with your observation of Cash’s quote, even though I did not actually pick up on it myself until you pointed it out; it seems as if his insightful monologue really does sum up the main point of this novel and its style of narration.
ReplyDelete:D thanks jon! That was nice!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that you enjoyed this book because I feel like it was not a total waste of time to read it. Your summary slightly changed my opinion of this book. I agree that the book was simple at times and poetic at other times which added to the dynamic style Faulkner uses. I understand how you found Vardaman intriguing but to me his thoughts were scary at times. He was very innocent though which makes him a likable character. Also I too enjoyed Cash's subjective view on the rest of the characters and the events that happened in the story. I really like how you distinguished the theme of the novel and I think it summed up the book nicely.
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